El Chapultepec, 1962 Market St.

Since its construction in circa 1890, the building at 1962 Market Street has been home to a diverse range of uses, including a boarding house, bar, restaurant, and then the iconic jazz club El Chapultepec. The club was physical representation of former owner, Jerry Krantz’s vision to create an affordable and accessible place to experience excellent jazz music. Outwardly, it is an unassuming building with little ornamentation. However, as musicians took to its small stage, it gained a reputation as the place to play in Denver. El Chapultepec was host to numerous world class jazz musicians over the years. Stars from other genres such as The Police, ZZ Top, Mick Jagger, Dave Mathews, Santana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pat Morita, Ed Sheeran, and many more have visited or performed. Actors such as Christopher Walken have dropped by over the years, and President Bill Clinton played there in 1991. Even the legendary Frank Sinatra came to El Chapultepec.

El Chapultepec was truly a place that brought the stars and the common person together to enjoy great music, drinks, and burritos. It was a cultural phenomenon rarely experienced elsewhere, as someone of little means could join a high roller and experience some of the best jazz in the world. The business may be gone but the physical representation of that vision and what occurred there remains. Historic Denver believes that this representation is worthy of preserving and incorporating into future development plans for the site. Landmark designation does not freeze a building in time, but it does prevent it from being demolished. Buildings such as 1962 Market Street, and the stories they tell, anchor neighborhoods and provide a connection to Denver’s rich past.

Many of the buildings that have provided continuity within Denver’s changing urban landscape over the years are disappearing as neighborhoods are redeveloped. Historic Denver and community partners have been concerned that the El Chapultepec building could become another example of this pattern. In response, we applied for landmark designation to the City and County of Denver. However, after working closely with Monfort Companies and reaching a compromise solution that preserves key historic elements of the building, we have since withdrawn the application.

Action

Historic Denver has been working with the building owner, Monfort Companies, since last year to offer suggestions on adaptively reusing the former El Chapultepec building. We are pleased to announce that a significant compromise has been reached. Monfort Companies and Historic Denver have collaborated to develop a design solution that preserves key elements of the building while introducing modern enhancements. This compromise, achieved outside the landmark designation process, will protect this key piece of Denver’s history and ensure its legacy continues.