A permanent home for Jazz Aspen Snowmass at the Red Onion

I. The building

The Red Onion Building, at 420 East Cooper Avenue in Aspen, is one of the oldest commercial structures in town. It has been, at various points across a century and a half, a saloon, a hotel, a restaurant, and a quietly negotiated piece of civic real estate. As of this year, it is also the permanent home of Jazz Aspen Snowmass, the music organization that has, since 1991, programmed the festivals and educational work that have anchored the valley’s musical calendar.

The firm’s founder serves as Chairman of Jazz Aspen Snowmass. His support of the organization, made over three tranches — $1M in 2022, $4M in 2023, and $5M in 2024 — totals $10M and underwrites the building.

II. The gift

Civic capital is one of the words the firm uses internally for this kind of work. It is not a marketing program and is not surfaced in business development conversations. The argument behind it is simple. A family office that has been domiciled in Aspen for more than two decades has a standing obligation to the institutions that, in the long run, make Aspen the place it is. Music, education, and the buildings that house both are among those institutions.

III. Civic capital

The Paul JAS Center will open programmatically over the coming season. The firm has no further public comment.