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.
While many Burlington residents opposed combining the auditorium with other buildings, a significant number supported constructing an entirely separate performance space. By February 3, Beecher's office had created a plan to utilize $150,000 from the bond money for a standalone assembly hall with seating capacity exceeding 3,000, designed by local architect Frank Austin.