DENVER — A Denver movie theater known for screening independent films will close its doors this summer.
Landmark Theatres announced it will close its Esquire Theatre at 590 Downing St. by July 2024.
The Esquire has drawn crowds to Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood since 1927. The movie theater was bought by Landmark Theatres in 1980, who continue to operate the theater after selling the building in 2021.
"We've received great support from the Esquire Theatre ownership team, however, as we evaluate this market and our long-term business strategy, we have decided to close the Landmark Esquire Theatre," Landmark Theatres President Kevin Holloway said.
"Landmark's renowned Mayan Theatre, Chez Artiste, and The Landmark at Greenwood Village will remain open and continue to serve the area," added Holloway.
Arapahoe High School senior Sam Bryant has been spearheading a senior capstone project to try to save the theater, or at least preserve the outside through a landmark designation.
He said the news was difficult to hear.
“It’s disappointing, if you want to sum it up," Bryant said. “Hopefully it’ll be a good chapter in the history of the Esquire. It will continue on. Maybe not as a theater showing movies, but as long as the legacy lives on is what matters.”
The Esquire Theatre building will not be demolished. The owners plan to re-purpose the existing building with upscale office, restaurant, and retail space.
"We have entertained the possibility of leasing to another theater tenant. Unfortunately, we've been unable to find a partner for this opportunity," said Sam Leger of ownership group Franklin 10 LLC. "We have been and will continue to work with neighborhood groups as well as the city to create a desirable addition to the neighborhood."
The building's owners said the redevelopment project will use the City of Denver's Adaptive Reuse program, an aesthetic process that adapts existing buildings for new uses while preserving their historic features.
"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," Leger said. "We're honored to be one the first projects in Denver to work in conjunction with this program."
"The plans we have seen for the adaptive reuse of the Esquire Theatre are terrific," said Steven Simard, President of the Alamo Placita Neighbors Association. "The building’s owners and their design teams have proven that creativity can allow an old building to serve a new purpose in a historic neighborhood."
Denver-based architecture firm Neo Studio is working on the project's green design and construction.
According to the building's owners, the redeveloped Esquire building aims to engage the corner of 6th Avenue and Downing.
"Changes will allow the boxy, monolithic structure to transition into a walkable amenity for surrounding neighborhoods," the owners said in a release. "A tree canopy and landscape island planters for pedestrian safety will be built along 6th and Downing along with new eight-foot sidewalks."
The Esquire signs are to be refurbished and prominently featured in the new designs. Project designers said they are considering uses for other notable items such as old marquees and signage.
"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," Leger said. "We're honored to be one the first projects in Denver to work in conjunction with this program."
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