Denver’s historic Esquire Theatre closing, redeveloping for restaurant, retail uses
DENVER (KDVR) — Landmark Theatres announced Wednesday that it plans to close the historic Esquire Theatre in Denver this summer.
Esquire Theatre, located at 590 Downing St. in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, was built in 1927 and opened that fall as the “Hiawatha Theatre,” according to the website. At the time, there was one screen and a balcony.
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Landmark Theatres will continue service at the Mayan Theatre, Chez Artiste and The Landmark at Greenwood Village, but the company said in a press release that Esquire Theatre’s owners plan to repurpose the building.
The release said that the owners looked into possibly leasing it to another theater tenant, but they have not found someone to take on that opportunity. So, the owners said they will continue to “work with neighborhood groups as well as the city to create a desirable addition to the neighborhood.”
It won’t be demolished, but the old building will serve a different purpose.
What is the plan for Esquire Theatre?
The owners at the ownership group Franklin 10 LLC plan to remodel and use the existing building to “create a project suitable for the primarily residential neighborhood featuring upscale office, restaurant, and retail uses,” according to the release.
Denver-based architecture firm Neo Studio is focused on green design and construction involving bigger sidewalks and some building additions. The goal is to make the corner at Sixth Avenue and Downing Street a “walkable amenity for surrounding neighborhoods.”
Along those streets will be an 8-foot sidewalk with a tree canopy and landscape island planters to improve pedestrian safety.
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As for the iconic Esquire neon signs, they will be refurbished and prominently featured in the new design. The release said designers and planners are also considering using other notable items like old marquees and signs in the new design.
During the remodeling process, existing building materials will be recycled and green energy enhancements will be implemented.
The Esquire project is one of the first in Denver’s Adaptive Reuse program. According to the release, adaptive reuse is the aesthetic process that adapts existing buildings for new uses while preserving their historic features.”
The program’s goals are to preserve architectural and cultural heritage, prevent demolition and revitalize obsolete buildings to be a resource to the community.
“As we move forward with our work on the Esquire Theatre site, we’ll continue to work closely with our neighbors and on guidelines set out by the city. We’re honored to be one the first projects in Denver to work in conjunction with this program,” Sam Leger of Franklin 10 LLC said.
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Esquire Theatre is set to close sometime in July 2024, according to the release.
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