A city commission has approved a design for redeveloping the corner of 20th and Market streets in Lower Downtown Denver that will preserve a historic building and save a part of El Chapultepec, a legendary jazz bar.
The Lower Downtown Design Review Commission voted Thursday for the Monfort Cos.’ vision of the redevelopment of the El Chapultepec building at 1962 Market St. and a historic, two-story building next door at 1320 20th St. The panel initially rejected the proposal in September, but indicated it would reconsider if revisions were made.
“This is just the beginning,” said Matt Runyon, director of Business Development for Monfort Cos.’ real estate state team.
The company still needs to submit construction plans and obtain permits. But the commission’s approval is “a big one,” Runyon added.
“What’s important is that the (commission) ultimately does have purview over the exterior of the building. Once they say ‘go,’ now we can get into all those details with some confidence that this is the building that we’re building,” Runyon said.
Since buying the site in 2022, Monfort Cos., owned by the family that owns the Colorado Rockies and McGregor Square in LoDo, has met with a number of parties to find a way to transform the corner into a thriving business while paying homage to a beloved part of Denver’s history and culture.
The El Chapultepec jazz club was in business for nearly 90 years before closing in 2020. It was a music hot spot for generations and hosted such stars as Etta James, Art Blakey, Natalie Cole, the Marsalis brothers and Harry Connick Jr.
Monfort has said the building is in disrepair, but talk of demolishing it spurred Historic Denver to file a landmark designation application to save El Chapultepec.
In June, Monfort Cos. announced a compromise that would preserve the main entrance to the former jazz club along with a short stretch of wall on either side. The building’s signature neon-cactus sign and red canopy will remain. Historic Denver withdrew its application.
“The process we took to get to this point was painstaking at times, but I don’t think it could’ve resulted in a better product for this city or, quite frankly, a better outcome,” Runyon said.
Monfort Cos. redesigned a rooftop addition on the adjacent building after the design review commission said it would overwhelm the historic characteristics of the building. Runyon said the revisions cut about 200 square feet from the structure.
The historic two-story building houses the Giggling Grizzly restaurant and bar. The two buildings will be connected by a door. The El Chapultepec building will essentially be a semi-covered patio.
Monfort Cos. bought the jazz club and the Giggling Grizzly buildings for $5.38 million in 2022, according to property records. The goal is to finish construction and open the business by March 2026.
But first, the company has to submit construction, architectural and engineering plans to the city. Runyon said Monfort hopes to have permits in place by May. The company will work to hit the project’s estimated cost of $17 million.
Monfort Cos. hasn’t settled on the specifics of the kind of business that will go into the new buildings, Runyon said. He said the plan is to complement the company’s existing businesses on the block, which include sports bars.
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