A large percentage of Burlington residents favored the construction of a completely separate auditorium building, however, and  by 3 February Beecher's office had developed a plan wherein $150,000 of the bond money could be used to build a standalone assembly space with a capacity of more than 3,000 people, to be designed by local architect Frank Austin, the author of numerous civic, institutional, and commercial buildings in Burlington, Middlebury, and surrounding communities.
A significant proportion of Burlington residents supported the construction of a completely independent auditorium building, however, and by 3 February Beecher's office had developed a plan where $150,000 of the bond money could be used to build a standalone performance hall with a capacity exceeding 3,000 people, to be designed by local architect Frank Austin, the author of numerous civic, institutional, and commercial buildings in Burlington, Middlebury, and surrounding areas.