On March 19, the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission unanimously approved a plan to redevelop the theater into office, retail and restaurant space. The Esquire's last day of operation will be July 17.
This news is a major blow to the group of over 5,000 community members trying to save the Esquire, fighting for it to continue operating as a movie theater. But the Esquire's owners say that's out of their hands: The theater's current exhibitor, Landmark Theatres, has chosen not to renew the lease, and no other theaters have signed on to take Landmark's place, says Sam Leger, co-owner of the Esquire.
"We have entertained the possibility of leasing to another theater tenant. Unfortunately, we've been unable to find a partner for this opportunity," Leger said in a March 19 release. "We have been and will continue to work with neighborhood groups as well as the city to create a desirable addition to the neighborhood."
But Esquire fans are not giving up, says Jolee Harston, creator of the Save the Esquire movement.
"This decision does not sway our work," Harston says. "All of us at Save the Esquire will continue pursuing all possible options going forward. We are working hard behind the scenes to exhaust all possible avenues."
Harston says the group is still pushing to make the Esquire a historic landmark, and planning to submit a designation application in April. Members are selling "Save the Esquire" T-shirts to raise money for the application fee and upcoming customer appreciation events. The theater is inside the Alamo Placita Historic District — which is why the redevelopment plan required approval from the Landmark Preservation Commission — but it is not an individual landmark.
Landmark designation would not prevent the Esquire from being redeveloped for new uses, but alterations to the building would need to be reviewed under a different, more stringent set of design guidelines. Harston hopes this will halt construction on the current plan.
"It may buy us time to exhaust all other options," Harston says.
The century-old building at 590 Downing Street will not be demolished under the redevelopment plan, though changes will be made to turn the ground floor into retail and restaurant space and the second floor into office space.
Numerous windows will be installed in the theater's concrete walls, three skylights will be added to the roof and a storefront will be built into the south side of the building, extending into the parking lot, according to the Landmark Preservation Commission report. New sidewalks with a tree canopy and pedestrian safety planters will be added along Sixth Avenue and Downing Street.
The Esquire's iconic signs will be refurbished and "prominently featured" in the redevelopment, as may other items like marquees, according to a March 19 announcement.
This is part of Denver's Adaptive Reuse program, when older and historic buildings are modified for new purposes with the aesthetics and architecture preserved. Other buildings redeveloped under the program include the REI flagship store in Confluence Park and Cerebral Brewing on East Colfax Avenue.
John Deffenbaugh, president and CEO of Historic Denver, applauds the adaptive reuse of the theater. Historic Denver is currently fighting for another historic building — the former El Chapultepec jazz club — to be similarly preserved.
"While many will mourn the loss of a beloved local institution, Historic Denver is excited to see the existing building being retained," Deffenbaugh says of the Esquire. "At a time when another local institution, the El Chapultepec building, faces demolition, the adaptive reuse of the Esquire Theatre offers a way forward that recognizes the building's heritage."
Steven Simard, president of the Alamo Placita Neighbors Association, also approves of the redevelopment: "The plans we have seen for the adaptive reuse of the Esquire Theatre are terrific. 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," he says in the March 19 announcement.
But while the Esquire may look largely the same on the outside, its function as a movie theater will be lost. And with that, says Harston, Denver will lose its cinematic diversity and nearly a century of local history and culture.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show screening at Esquire Theatre with live shadow cast, Colorado's Elusive Ingredient.
Brandon Johnson
After opening in 1927 as the Hiawatha Theatre, the property served as a meeting place for the Jewish community in the 1930s, Harston says. When it reopened as the Esquire Theatre in 1942, it had Denver's first female theater manager and an all-female staff.
The Esquire continues to be a safe haven for art lovers and marginalized groups through its showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a cinematic milestone for the LGBTQ+ community. Denver is one of the few cities that has never stopped showing the cult classic film since it was released in 1975, according to the local shadow cast Colorado's Elusive Ingredient. They perform at the Esquire every month — acting out the movie as it plays on screen.
"The Esquire Theatre has been the home of Rocky Horror in Denver for longer than most of our cast has been alive," the cast says. "The Esquire [is] not only a home to us, but a place where the queer, artsy and weird are celebrated. ... We're not going to stop fighting for this space to remain open as a theater."
The cast has four more performances scheduled at the Esquire — on the last Saturday of each month until the theater closes. Members will be selling "Save the Esquire" shirts to raise money for the landmark designation effort during the next show, on March 30.
Kevin Holloway, president of Landmark Theatres, says the decision to end its operation at the Esquire came down to "this market" and "our long-term business strategy." The company's other movie theaters in the area — the Mayan Theatre, Chez Artiste and Landmark at Greenwood Village — will remain open.
After the theater closes on July 17, the Esquire owners will await city approval before beginning construction.
Update: This story was updated on March 21 to include information about the next Rocky Horror shows.
