Denver panel denies El Chapultepec plan; Monfort Cos. to resubmit

While suffering a setback, the effort to preserve a portion of the El Chapultepec jazz club, a Lower Downtown Denver landmark, is still alive.

A city commission has denied an application by Monfort Cos. to redevelop the El Chapultepec building at the corner of 20th and Market streets and a historic, two-story building next door at 1320 20th St. But the Lower Downtown Design Review Commission signaled in a meeting Thursday that it’s willing to consider a revised plan that addresses concerns about the scope of construction on the historic building.

Monfort Cos., owned by the family that owns the Colorado Rockies and McGregor Square in LoDo, plans to resubmit its application, possibly as early as the commission’s Oct. 3 meeting.

“The design we presented was the product of extensive community collaboration, including with Historic Denver. While we’re disappointed, we have conviction in our approach, and with some minor modifications, we expect to receive approval,” Kenneth Monfort, executive vice president for Monfort Cos., said in Friday in a statement.

“We believe strongly in the concept for this property. We have an opportunity to bring thoughtful and much-needed activation to a corner that has been dark for five years now,” Monfort added.

Jenn Cappeto, manager of Denver Landmark Preservation, said the city is working with company officials to help them understand what changes the commission is looking for.

“A denial of the Landmark Preservation committee and Lower Downtown Design Review Commission is almost never a full denial,” Cappeto said. “It’s usually that the project that’s proposed does not meet the guidelines, so they will recommend changes to a project to meet their guidelines.”

In the case of the Monfort Cos.’ project, which would preserve a portion of the well-known El Chapultepec exterior, the commission had concerns about a rooftop addition and alterations to the adjacent historic building, which houses the Giggling Grizzly sports bar.

“The commission was very supportive of the proposed work at the El Chapultepec building,” Cappeto said.

However, members believed the proposed rooftop and deck would overwhelm the other building’s historic character, she added.

Under the company’s plans, the two buildings would make up one business, expected to be a bar and restaurant. The El Chapultepec jazz club was in business for nearly 90 years before closing in 2020. Monfort Cos. bought the club and the Giggling Grizzly building for $5.38 million in 2022, according to property records.

Plans for the sites fueled concerns and protests when talk of demolishing the El Chapultepec building got out. The building was deemed uninhabitable because of various engineering and safety concerns, according to city documents. Kenneth Monfort said in an earlier statement that saving the building would be “physically impossible and cost prohibitive.”