When is the time right to have a discussion about what should be done with the Century Aurora 16 theater? It’s a question on the minds of many in this community who continue to grieve a month after the suburban theater became the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

For leaders in the city of Aurora, now is the appropriate time to begin talking about the future of the building, where 12 people were killed and 58 injured in an early-morning attack carried out during the premiere of the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

This week, Aurora officials launched an online survey asking people to give their thoughts on the future of the theater. City leaders then plan to share those comments with officials at Cinemark — the company that owns the theater — for consideration in the decision-making process.

The options run the gamut: Close it and tear it down. Remodel it and reopen it. Reopen it without any significant structural changes.

“It’s quite variable, and there’s no wrong or right way to feel about the situation,” said Tara Galovski , an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. “Obviously, some in the community who weren’t at the theater may feel differently about it than, say, those in the community who were present that night.”

Galovski, whose work focuses on survivors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, said that a survey is a smart way to gauge how people feel about the structure, which was built in 1998.

James Holmes, a 24-year-old who had been enrolled in a neuroscience program at the University of Colorado, was arrested after the shooting and faces 141 felony counts of murder and attempted murder, as well as an explosives charge.

Rob Janson , who visited the makeshift memorial across South Sable Boulevard from the theater Tuesday afternoon, believes the theater should remain.

“If it does reopen, then maybe they can do some remodeling and maybe even make theater 9 (where 10 victims died) sort of a shrine,” Janson said.

In past tragedies — some recent, others decades ago — the response of the community has varied.

The library at Columbine High School, where 10 students were murdered, was removed from the building as part of a remodeling project. Parts of the project changed the look of areas where other students were shot. Similar remodeling was done to Norris Hall, the site where 30 students and faculty members were shot and killed on the campus of Virginia Tech in 2007.

Several miles from the site of the theater, an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese where four people were killed by a gunman in 1993, was vacant for several years before being remodeled and rebuilt to house a new restaurant.

By contrast, a McDonald’s in San Ysidro, Calif., that was the scene of a 1984 massacre, was leveled. Today, a memorial to the victims and a community college building occupy the land.

Chris Townson was at the Aurora theater July 20 and was grazed by a bullet. His girlfriend, Carli Richards, suffered 20 pellet wounds to her body.

“I’d like to see it reopened … in time,” Townson said, noting that his gut tells him right now it will be torn down. “It’s just a dark spot.”

Galovski said that out of respect for people directly affected by the Aurora shooting — those who lost a loved one or were injured — a thorough debate should be undertaken in the coming months, if not years, about what should happen to the theater.

“Once a decision is made, there shouldn’t be any second guessing,” said Galovski. “Something permanent will need to be done with the building, and it’s going to play a role in the healing processes.”

Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655, klee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kurtisalee

Denver Post librarian Barbara Hudson contributed to this report.