A Denver developer associated with the family that owns the Colorado Rockies has reached a compromise on the future of the historic El Chapultepec building in Lower Downtown.
Monfort Companies on Tuesday revealed a new design they say will honor the building, which is at the corner of 20th and Market streets. It would preserve the main entrance to the former jazz club along with a short stretch of wall on either side. The plan, which Monfort Cos. said will cost it an extra $2 million, will also save the iconic neon-cactus sign and red canopy.
It represents a hard-won compromise with Historic Denver, following two months of back-and-forth over the 130-year-old building’s fate. As a result, Historic Denver has withdrawn its application for landmark designation, president John Deffenbaugh said.
Monfort Cos. bought the building along with the Giggling Grizzly for $5.38 million in 2022, according to property records. That purchase price is not included in the updated cost of the project, which now sits at around $17 million.
“As a Denver native who grew up in east Denver, I’ve lived through a lot of urban renewal projects and different entities (promoting) growth in the city,” said civic leader Elbra Wedgeworth, a former president of Denver City Council. “To save this historical building and sign is something we always have wanted. Not just as public officials, but as private citizens.”
Click here to read the full story from our partners at The Denver Post here.
