DENVER — Historic Denver hopes to preserve a legendary jazz venue that has been closed since the pandemic.
The organization began a petition to show community support while the current owners have plans to demolish it and build another food or drink spot downtown.
El Chapultepec, off Market Street and 20th Avenue, has been in the same location for over 130 years.
"As one Denver’s most culturally significant music venues, it closed before the pandemic and it has been empty ever since," said John Deffenbaugh, president and CEO of Historic Denver. "Without existing buildings, we lose layers of our history."
Historic Denver filed an application to designate El Chapultepec as a designated landmark in the city, which would protect it from demolition.
"If this building is not preserved, it will be torn down and we will have a hole at the corner of Market Street and 20th where a new beer patio will be, and we think that is just such a shame," Deffenbaugh said.
El Chapultepec
The Monfort family is most well-known for owning the Colorado Rockies.
Monfort Companies, run by Kenneth Monfort, owns both El Chapultepec and Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row Denver, which is next to El Chapultepec.
In a statement, Kenneth Monfort says the company has a "long-term vision for the Ballpark neighborhood to create a world-class entertainment district, and that includes honoring and preserving the rich history of this block. That’s what we executed on at 1946 Market and 1920 Market, and that was our intent with the former El Chapultepec building."
Monfort says in the planning process, the team uncovered a number of unpermitted changes that were made by a tenant under the previous owner.
"The damage those changes caused, combined with the materials used in this particular building, not only compromised the building's structural integrity but also raised significant concerns about the building’s safety and viability. Two structural engineers independently reviewed the space at 1962 Market and confirmed what we’d learned," Monfort continued in the statement.
The company now plans to create a new building as part of the historic adaptive reuse project. The renderings show a rooftop patio.
"It’s so frustrating because we look at Whiskey Row, we look at so many other buildings on this block that Monfort Company have rehabilitated and re-equipped for future life, and they retain the historic façade," Deffenbaugh said. "Older buildings are such an important part of our urban fabric. They are a representation of our buildings history, so when we walk past these buildings, we can get a sense of people who came before us, the activity that took place there."
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