Commission Rejects El Chapultepec Renovation Plans, Developer Will Keep Trying

The Lower Downtown Design Review Commission rejected a plan to renovate the El Chapultepec building and the neighboring home of The Giggling Grizzly at 20th and Market streets.

The building's owner isn't giving up.

The plan would have preserved the exterior and signage at El Chapultepec, the Denver Business Journal reported, while adding a rooftop gathering space spanning both buildings. 

But the Lower Downtown Design Review Commission voted down the plans submitted by property owner Monfort Cos. in conjunction with Historic Denver. The plan had been viewed as a compromise that would honor the building's long history while allowing a new use on the high-profile corner of LoDo.

“The design we presented was the product of extensive community collaboration, including with Historic Denver,” Monfort Cos. Executive Vice President Kenneth Monfort said in a statement quoted by The Denver Post. “While we’re disappointed, we have conviction in our approach, and with some minor modifications, we expect to receive approval.”

Monfort plans to resubmit its application to the commission, the Post reported. Its next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 3.

“A denial of the Landmark Preservation committee and Lower Downtown Design Review Commission is almost never a full denial,” Jenn Cappeto, who manages the Landmark Preservation team for the city and county of Denver, told the Post. “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.”

Monfort purchased the two buildings in 2022 for $5.38M following El Chapultepec's 2020 closure.