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Tag: Redevelopment

  • A new chapter for 123 Speer: Demolition is underway at old Denver7 building

    DENVER — Demolition crews are tearing down the former Denver7 building at 123 Speer Boulevard.

    On Thursday, Denver7 got an up-close look at the progress.

    The building, which served as the home of Denver7 for decades, is being demolished using conventional methods rather than implosion due to cost considerations, according to Paul Koch, Construction Executive for Milender White.

    Denver7

    “It’s not as easy as just pressing a button,” Koch said. “They’re crunching and munching with the teeth and the jaws.”

    Demo crews expect the entire building to be down in about four weeks.

    After that, they’ll focus on clearing out the site and priming it for development.

    The demolition comes after a challenging period for the property. Asbestos abatement was completed in five months. Since the new owner, Property Market Group (PMG), took over, the site became a target for vandals and was added to Denver’s list of derelict and neglected buildings.

    “There was a tremendous amount of damage that had been done,” said Albus Brooks, vice president of Milender White. “People were in there, you know, taking wiring and casings and sleeping in there and living in there.”

    123 Speer Gif 3

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    Brooks said the issues have since been cleaned up, and the focus is now on the future.

    “I’m not going to get into all the details of what this is going to be, but I can let everybody know in this neighborhood that it will be a transformative project,” Brooks said.

    Construction crews working on the project weren’t forthcoming with details about what the transformation will entail.

    However, renderings show plans for a mixed-use development called “Society Denver” — a high-rise apartment community with around 400 units and retail space. The project is scheduled for completion in 2027.

    Local real estate expert Lori Abbey said redevelopment projects citywide are taking longer than expected due to challenging market conditions.

    “It’s a perfect storm of not great scenarios all at the same time,” Abbey said.

    Abbey said the cost of labor and tariffs is impacting the industry, significantly reducing profit margins for developers.

    “I have a lot of development projects going on right now, and a lot of them are where maybe we priced the numbers on a 30% profit margin,” Abbey said. “We’re talking a profit margin of 3% to 5% now.”

    28ED7C617EE4EA3D0173A173F34F8C9B (1).JPG

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    When asked about solutions for getting projects like Society Denver off the ground quickly, Abbey suggested incentives are needed.

    “I think that people there need to be incentives for people to be able to do this development,” Abbey said.

    While it’s too early to tell what will ultimately call this site home or when construction will be complete, the demolition marks a new chapter for this stretch of Speer Blvd.

    “This building has stood the test of time for many years,” Koch said.

    A new chapter for 123 Speer: Demolition is underway at old Denver7 building

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    Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Claire Lavezzorio

    Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio covers topics that have an impact across Colorado, but specializes in reporting on stories in the military and veteran communities. If you’d like to get in touch with Claire, fill out the form below to send her an email.

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  • The Miami Seaquarium may disappear soon. See what it looked like in early days

    The days of the Miami Seaquarium look like they’re ending, with the Virginia Key site in line for redevelopment.

    The marine attraction opened in the mid-1950s, well before Disney World and other theme parks popped up in Central Florida. Along with the Parrot Jungle, now known as Jungle Island and also set for redevelopment, tourists and locals lined up to see Flipper, Lolita and Salty.

    If you visited Miami as a tourist in the 1950s and ’60s, the Seaquarium was on your must-visit list. Hotels put out brochures and even offered bus service to the marine park on the Rickenbacker Causeway.

    After Disney World opened in 1971, the star dimmed a bit for the Seaquarium, along with other Miami roadside attractions.

    But the Seaquarium has marched on despite controversies over animal treatment and the recent death of its star attraction, Lolita the Killer Whale.

    MORE: Miami Seaquarium set to close under development deal for marina, restaurants

    Let’s look back at the Seaquarium as we flip through photos in the archive:

    Jim Turner serenades the killer whales, Hugo, left, and Lolita, at the Seaquarium. with Bach sonatas on his musical saw. Turner played for 20 minutes to the attentive pair, and tagged them “a great audience.”
    Jim Turner serenades the killer whales, Hugo, left, and Lolita, at the Seaquarium. with Bach sonatas on his musical saw. Turner played for 20 minutes to the attentive pair, and tagged them “a great audience.” Miami Herald File/1979

    The entrance during the early days at the Seaquarium.
    The entrance during the early days at the Seaquarium. State Library and Archives of Florida

    Salty the Sea Lion and friends at the Miami Seaquarium.
    Salty the Sea Lion and friends at the Miami Seaquarium. Miami Herald File/1998

    Nevile Thomas gets to meet Salty the Sea Lion up close as a group form the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind visits the Seaquarium. The group of partially-sighted and blind people were taken on a tour to touch and feel some of the creatures at the park, including manatees, sharks, crabs and sea lion.
    Nevile Thomas gets to meet Salty the Sea Lion up close as a group form the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind visits the Seaquarium. The group of partially-sighted and blind people were taken on a tour to touch and feel some of the creatures at the park, including manatees, sharks, crabs and sea lion. Chuck Fadely Miami Herald File

    A camper gets up close and personal with Salty the Sea Lion.
    A camper gets up close and personal with Salty the Sea Lion. Jeffery A. Salter Miami Herald File/1996

    The dolphins show in the early years.
    The dolphins show in the early years. State Library and Archives of Florida

    Lolita the killer whale, also known as Toki, during a show in her stadium tank. She was the main attraction at Miami Seaquarium for decades.
    Lolita the killer whale, also known as Toki, during a show in her stadium tank. She was the main attraction at Miami Seaquarium for decades. Miami Herald File

    Lolita the killer whale, here being fed by one of her trainers, had lived in a tank at Miami Seaquarium since 1970.
    Lolita the killer whale, here being fed by one of her trainers, had lived in a tank at Miami Seaquarium since 1970. Miami Herald File

    ”Flipper” star Luke Halpin greets Onyx, one of the dolphins who lives in the Flipper Lagoon at the Miami Seaquarium, in 2004. Halpin and fellow “Flipper” co-star Tom Norden returned to the Seaquarium in Miami to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their show, parts of which were filmed in the same pool.
    ”Flipper” star Luke Halpin greets Onyx, one of the dolphins who lives in the Flipper Lagoon at the Miami Seaquarium, in 2004. Halpin and fellow “Flipper” co-star Tom Norden returned to the Seaquarium in Miami to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their show, parts of which were filmed in the same pool. David M. Barreda Miami Herald File / 2004

    Miami Seaquarium executive Andrew Hertz cuddles with Sundance, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin performing in the Flipper Show.
    Miami Seaquarium executive Andrew Hertz cuddles with Sundance, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin performing in the Flipper Show. Candace Barbot Miami Herald File / 2001

    The “Flipper” series, which ran 1964-1967, employed seven dolphins to play the lead role with Tommy Norden, left, Brian Kelly and Luke Halpin.
    The “Flipper” series, which ran 1964-1967, employed seven dolphins to play the lead role with Tommy Norden, left, Brian Kelly and Luke Halpin. Miami Herald File / NBC

    A dolphin flies high in the 1960s.
    A dolphin flies high in the 1960s. State Library and Archives of Forida

    An aerial view of the Miami Seaquarium on Virginia Key in the 1960s.
    An aerial view of the Miami Seaquarium on Virginia Key in the 1960s. State Library and Archives of Florida

    A monorail circled the Seaquarium ground through the 1970s. Unlike the monorail at Disney World, this one hung from the track.
    A monorail circled the Seaquarium ground through the 1970s. Unlike the monorail at Disney World, this one hung from the track. State Library and Archives of Florida

    Lord Gavin Astor of London, England, hand-feeds Clown, the Miami Seaquarium's high-jumping porpoise.
    Lord Gavin Astor of London, England, hand-feeds Clown, the Miami Seaquarium’s high-jumping porpoise. Miami Herald File

    Revolving shark for the Seaquarium.
    Revolving shark for the Seaquarium. L.E. Baskow Miami Herald

    Crowds at the Seaquarium.
    Crowds at the Seaquarium. Miami Herald File

    The dolphins jumping high at the Miami Seaquarium.
    The dolphins jumping high at the Miami Seaquarium. Miami Herald File

    This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 6:29 AM.

    Miami Herald Archives

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  • $500M Mastic Beach downtown plan draws support at hearing | Long Island Business News

    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • $500M revitalization to bring 630 housing units, shops, and civic space

    • Plan backed by community at Brookhaven Town Hall hearing

    • Projected $5.7M in annual property tax revenue after completion

    • Redevelopment to create over 900 jobs during ongoing operations

     

    Some 250 people packed Brookhaven Town Hall Thursday evening where a public hearing for an ambitious plan to redevelop about 40 acres in Mastic Beach drew mostly support. 

    The $500 million Neighborhood Road Revitalization project is helmed by Jericho-based Beechwood Organization, which was designated as master developer for the plan by the Town of Brookhaven in Oct. 2021. The proposed redevelopment, which covers most of Neighborhood Road and Commack Road between Maywood Road and Doris Drive, would create a mixed-use downtown area with up to 630 housing units, 133,600 square feet of commercial space, and 34,000 square feet of community/civic space, in which the existing library and ambulance company would remain. 

    Questions and comments from speakers at the hearing focused on traffic concerns and help for existing businesses.

    “This is exactly the kind of dialogue we need,” Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said in a town statement. “Hearing directly from residents helps us build a plan that reflects the real needs of the neighborhood.”  

    Courtesy of Town of Brookhaven

    The town conducted a blight study of 140 parcels along Neighborhood Road and surrounding streets in 2019, which confirmed that the area had enough blight, code violations and obstacles that have deterred meaningful private investment in the area. In Nov. 2022, the town unveiled a proposed master plan that aimed to transform the area into a walkable and vibrant downtown, with new housing, retail shops, restaurants, services and public gathering spaces. 

    Eric Alexander, director of Vision Long Island, which has worked on two previous plans for the Mastic Beach area, said he is happy to see this project move forward. 

    “Great to see robust turnout for the Mastic Beach revitalization plan. Community and business leaders have been working for decades to see the type of public and private investment the redevelopment will bring,” Alexander told LIBN. “The development team and town officials spent time through this process answering questions and adapting the plan to meet local needs. This community has been waiting a long time for this type of investment, and they are very deserving.” 

    According to the project’s draft environmental impact statement, the plan creates six subdistricts, including a Neighborhood Subdistrict that would allow townhomes; a Main Street Subdistrict for mixed-use buildings with ground-floor commercial/retail space and second-floor residential and/or commercial space; a Gateway Mixed-Use Subdistrict for mixed-use and multifamily buildings up to 35 feet high; a Downtown Mixed-Use Subdistrict that would allow multifamily residential buildings up to 50 feet high with commercial uses on the ground floor; a Civic Subdistrict for cultural uses, community spaces, educational facilities, and emergency service facilities; and a Parks Subdistrict for open, outdoor, active and passive public space. 

    The plan projects a significant increase in property tax revenue, rising from the current tax revenue of just over $800,000 per year to more than $5.7 million annually, of which more than $3.4 million would go to the William Floyd School District, according to the DGEIS. 

    Following construction, the redevelopment is expected to create 680 jobs in the redevelopment area, with an indirect and induced impact of nearly 250 jobs, bringing the total employment impact to 928 total jobs during annual operations.   

    Beechwood will need some time to assemble the 143 parcels in the redevelopment area, so construction on the project isn’t expected to begin 2027. The total redevelopment is projected to take four years to complete.

    Public comments on the project are still being accepted by the town until Sept. 29.  


    David Winzelberg

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  • Photo: A tiny monument to eminent domain resistance in New York City

    This is part of Reason‘s 2025 summer travel issue. Click here to read the rest of the issue.

    The Hess Triangle is the result of an eminent domain fight that began in 1910, when New York City seized and demolished a Greenwich Village apartment building owned by the Hess family. The city had forgotten this roughly 25-inch plot on the edge of the property—until 1921, when officials demanded that the Hess estate pay back taxes on the land. The Hess family refused to give the plot to the city, and in 1922 it instead installed a sidewalk mosaic reading “Property of the Hess estate which has never been dedicated for public purposes.”

    This article originally appeared in print under the headline “The Hess Triangle.”

    Emma Camp

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  • El Chapultepec redevelopment gets the green light, long live the cactus sign

    El Chapultepec redevelopment gets the green light, long live the cactus sign

    A protest to save El Chapultepec from demolition, in front of the storied, and shuttered, LoDo jazz club. March 29, 2024.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    A plan to redevelop and partially preserve the former home of El Chapultepec and a neighboring building got a key approval on Thursday.

    The developer, Monfort Companies, has been trying for months to get the green light for the Ballpark neighborhood project.

    Monfort hopes to create a new commercial space out of the buildings, which are on 20th Street between Market and Larimer streets. The project’s key concepts are now approved, and the developer can move ahead with construction plans and permitting.

    The developer hopes to finish the project by March 2026.

    Monfort and Historic Denver clashed over initial redevelopment plans for El Chapultepec

    El Chapultepec, a legendary jazz club, closed in 2020. Monfort bought the property in 2002 for $5.4 million, according to property records. The site is home to the Giggling Grizzly, too. 

    Monfort Companies is owned by the state’s preeminent Monfort family, who also own the Colorado Rockies.

    Matt Runyon, with Monfort Companies, stands in the old El Chapultepec building downtown, which his firm is planning to demolish due to long-standing structural problems. March 26, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Originally, the Monforts planned to completely demolish the property, saying it had turned out to be dangerously dilapidated. 

    But that plan had run into opposition from Historic Denver. Structures on the property date back to 1897, according to city records.

    Residents protested the plans for demolitions, asking Monfort to “stop erasing our city.”

    Rachelle Neal (left) and Gray Carstens attend a protest to save El Chapultepec from demolition, in front of the storied, and shuttered, LoDo jazz club. March 29, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Eventually, Historic Denver and Monfort came up with a compromise plan that would save some elements of the old building.

    They were initially rejected by the Lower Downtown Design Review Commission, but made some tweaks and got the approval this week. Those revisions, such as changing setbacks, will cost more than $1 million, the developer said.

    The LDDRC was the main government body that needed to be convinced to approve the project. It’s in charge of reviewing changes to buildings with historical and other significance in Lower Downtown.

    ‘Threading the needle’ to preserve pieces of the ‘Pec

    The former site of El Chapultepec at 1962 Market St. will be mostly demolished. However, its corner entrance, parts of its walls and two vintage signs will be preserved. (Those would be the arrow-shaped “EAT” sign and the big “CANTINA BAR CAFE” sign with the cactus. You know the one.)

    All those elements will become part of a glass-walled courtyard.

    An architectural illustration of a brick and glass building that incorporates historical elements.
    Part of a presentation showing how the redevelopment of the homes of El Chapultepec and the Giggling Grizzly might look, produced by Circle West Architects for Montfort Companies.
    Circle West Architects / Montfort Companies

    The other building on the site, 1320 20th St., will go through a major renovation, including the addition of a glass-and-metal rooftop deck.

    The redevelopment will preserve a corner of the original building and some vintage signage, which will be incorporated into a new courtyard. The redeveloped building will combine historic brick with new glass and metal.

    “I hope you will agree we’ve done a fantastic job of threading a needle here, and that needle really is how do we honor a building that has cultural significance, next to a building that has architectural significance, with bringing it into the modern age from the standpoint of business,” Matt Runyon of Monfort Companies said. “We have tried our best to appease all the parties.”

    A rendering showing how the redevelopment of the homes of El Chapultepec and the Giggling Grizzly might look, produced by Circle West Architects for Montfort Companies.
    Circle West Architects / Montfort Companies

    There were only a few public comments at this week’s meeting, and all were supportive of the project. Historic Denver supports the revised project.

    El Chapultepec’s history as a jazz club stretched back for decades. Over the years, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, all of the Marsalis brothers, all of the Tonight Show band, Tony Bennet and even ZZ Top stood on the Pec’s tiny stage.

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  • Rebuild of All In Motel breaks ground on Denver’s East Colfax

    Rebuild of All In Motel breaks ground on Denver’s East Colfax

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    The new boutique hotel will include 54 rooms, with rates expected to hit just over $200 a night.

    A stone facade in the former Rockbar space at the old All In Motel, which will remain in the space as it undergoes a major renovation. Sept. 19, 2024.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Denver’s middle-aged nostalgics have blurry memories of a place called Rockbar — a debauched, dancy dive, with floors as sticky as glue, housed inside the All In Motel on East Colfax Avenue.

    The memory-making hipster bar shuttered in 2012, the same year the iPhone 5 came out and Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney.  And the All In Motel itself closed in 2022. 

    Ever since, the building has looked like a hot spot for vandalism and squatters. But that won’t be the case for long. Over the next fourteen months, the All In Motel will be turned into the All in Hotel — a fancier future for the same building.

    A pink cement building looms over the frame; it's got some spraypainted tags on its exterior, and a construction garbage chute hanging out one window.
    The old All In motel is under a major renovation on East Colfax Avenue. Sept. 19, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Changes to the All In Motel have been promised for years.

    Back in 2016, Brian Toerber bought the place, hoping to turn it into micro-apartments. But the city wanted him to turn it into a hotel, he said.

    And he eventually realized the city might be right.

    “If the city really wants this, and the neighborhood really wants it as a hotel, we’ll figure it out,” Toerber said in an interview. “It took eight years to figure it out. The pandemic didn’t help.”

    The area is a hotel desert, he noted. With City Park, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the City Park Golf Course, the Botanic Gardens and Park Hill nearby, people need somewhere to stay.

    “Some of the oldest neighborhoods in Denver don’t have a place to send people when they come to town, right?” Toerber said.

    Inside an empty concrete shell of a room, where light is pouring in from a window out of frame. There are wires and caution tape strewn between beams, and a ladder.
    The old All In motel is under a major renovation on East Colfax Avenue. Sept. 19, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Even after that realization, it’s taken years to get the project on track.

    In 2019, through Inspire Investment Group, Toerber submitted plans to the city to rehab the All In. They hoped to bring retail, a restaurant and a second building that would have included more hotel rooms and a community space.

    Toerber contacted the Denver Urban Renewal Authority for support in 2020. And in 2022, Denver City Council approved the redevelopment after squabbling over whether it should be housing or a hotel.

    Toerber and his partners have raced to secure investment over the past two years, even as the building’s fallen into further disrepair. Community amenities, like that second building with more rooms and a community space, were scrapped in a modified version of the plan that city council approved in 2023.

    But now, Toerber is finally ready to get to work.

    A man in a hard hat and construction vest flashes a thumbs-up from inside a gutted building, looking down through a window with no glass in it.
    The old All In motel is under (de)construction on Colfax Avenue, near City Park. Sept. 17, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Over the next 14 months, the All In Motel will be rebooted as the All In Hotel.

    This week, Inspire Investment Group broke ground on the project.

    Though Rockbar will be a fading memory, the All In Hotel will now boast a restaurant and lobby bar and an outdoor pool for both guests and community members. The boutique hotel will include 54 rooms, with rates expected to hit just over $200 a night. The project’s budget is $22 million.

    When it opens, the rehabbed building will be operated by Life House Hotels. Steven Waters, the owner of Run for the Roses and Take Care Brands Hospitality, will oversee the food and drinks.   

    Maximalist Experience Design is taking charge of the interior decoration, and there will be sticky floors no more. 

    “There will never be another Rockbar,” explained Abigail Plaintier, the company’s founder and member of the All Inn Hotel owners group, in a statement. “This will be something completely different, a nod to the past with our own twist on the mid mod era.”

    Kevin Beaty contributed reporting to this article.

    An entire floor of a building is empty, just concrete floors, ceilings and beams. Light pours in through windows lining the space.
    The old All In motel is under a major renovation on East Colfax Avenue. Sept. 19, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

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  • ‘A great place for weirdos’: Who we met on closing weekend at the Esquire Theatre

    ‘A great place for weirdos’: Who we met on closing weekend at the Esquire Theatre

    Say goodbye to another beloved Denver institution.

    The Landmark Esquire Theatre will close after its final screenings on Thursday, July 18.

    The theater is known for arthouse and independent films, as well as regular programming of the cult classics “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Room.”

    The 97-year-old theater, located at East 6th Avenue and North Downing Street, will be repurposed and turned into a mixed-use retail space.

    According to a former employee, the theater has long been known as “a great place for weirdos.”

    Here are the people we met as they gathered to give the theater one last late-night hurrah last Friday.

    Jolee Harston, an organizer of an effort to save the Esquire Theater, gets emotional outside before one of the theater’s last late-night screenings before it closes for good. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Meet Jolee Harston.

    She led a grassroots movement called “Save the Esquire.” But despite the group’s petitioning and fundraising efforts, fans were unable to stop the theater’s redevelopment.

    “My first time coming, I was a senior in high school. It was for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Midnight Madness. And it changed my life in a lot of ways,” she said. “I grew up in a very conservative town, conservative household, and I was coming to terms with being queer myself, and I didn’t really have that vocabulary yet. Coming to the Rocky Horror Picture Show here was the first time I’d ever been around the LGBTQ+ community. And it opened my eyes to not only what the world is, but it opened parts of myself to me that I was too afraid to look at before.”

    The lesson Harston learned from all of her efforts to save the theater is that it’s important to be loud about preserving places before it’s too late.

    “Tradition can be special,” she said, “and help keep character and culture in our city.”

    A woman in a dress leans over the sidewalk, writing in yellow chalk.
    Vanessa Loya writes “Denver, you’re tearing me apart!,” a nod to “The Room,” outside of the Landmark Esquire Theatre on its last weekend in operation. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Nearby, Vanessa Loya was crouched on the curb, yellow chalk in hand.

    “We’re here to see 2001: A Space Odyssey,” she said.

    “I’m writing ‘Denver, you’re tearing me apart!’”

    A woman in bangs and jeans squats on the sidewalk, which is covered with messages, with a piece of orange chalk in her hand. She smiles at the camera.
    Leah Scott leaves a love note to the Landmark Esquire Theatre in chalk, during the last weekend before its closure. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    On the other side of the sidewalk, Leah Scott was scrawling something near the theater doors.

    “It feels like a very lively cultural center, or nucleus I guess,” she said of the Esquire. Adding, “It feels like a very familiar, welcoming space that has a character that a lot of other theaters lack.”

    When asked what she was writing, she said, “I was going to write, ‘Oh, hi Mark.’ A quote from The Room.”

    Three people lean on each other as they stare into the camera, waiting in a long line on the sidewalk.
    Luca Jimenez (left to right), Loen Keane and Sheldon Hackler wait in line at the Landmark Esquire Theatre, during the last weekend before its closure. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    As showtime approached, the line grew down Downing Street.

    In that line, we met three friends, one of whom had come to the Esquire many times, one who had come a few times, and one who was experiencing the theater for the first — and last — time.

    “I have three generations of my family who’ve been coming to the Esquire,” Luca Jimenez said.

    “My mom was telling me, when she found out that it was closing, the first memory that she has of coming to the Esquire was actually coming here when 2001: A Space Odyssey was first releasing and she came inside and the whole lobby was done up like the inside of a spaceship,” Jimenez said. “And so I thought that that was cool that that was the first movie that she saw here and it’s the last movie that I’m seeing here.”

    Jimenez said he wants to thank the Esquire for “all of the cool stuff that I’ve been able to see here and all of the stuff that I wasn’t able to see anywhere else.”

    A man and a woman look right at the camera; she makes a thumbs-down gesture and puffs her lip out in a frown. They're in a big line of people on the sidewalk.
    Robert and Finn Hearne wait in line at the Landmark Esquire Theatre, during the last weekend before its closure. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    We also spoke with Finn Hearne, 18.

    The first time she came to the Esquire was to see “Evil Dead 2” with her mom. After that, she was hooked.

    “This year I got a job, which, oh my gosh. It meant having money to spend,” Hearne said. “So I’ve been making an effort to come to see most of the movies that they have.”

    She added, “I feel like there’s a lot of places in Denver that are losing their genuineness. I don’t know if there’s a better word for that, but I feel like there’s definitely a shift to more corporate things. You’re seeing a lot of chains pop up in place of mom and pops, which is kind of sad.”

    A mustachioed man is out of focus in the foreground; behind him a marquee reads "Thank you for 97 years."
    Neil Duprey stands in front of the Landmark Esquire Theatre, on the last weekend before its closure. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Down the line a bit, we met Neil Duprey.

    He moved to Denver three years ago and quickly realized that the Esquire has a strong community.

    “You see a lot of the same people at the late-night shows and it’s just firmly baked into this neighborhood,” he said.

    “Part of my heart is breaking tonight for sure.”

    A man in glasses stares into the camera as he waits in a long line of people on the sidewalk; chalk messages cover the ground beneath him.
    Bruce Novak waits in line at the Landmark Esquire Theatre, during the last weekend before its closure. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Behind him, we spoke to Bruce Novak.

    He said he came out for closing weekend because he loves Landmark Theaters.

    “I do understand that it’s a question of money and real estate value — and good things can’t last forever,” he said. “It’s sad.”

    Two bearded men look right at the camera. People wait in line behind them.
    Alex Fountain and Curt Heiner wait in line at the Landmark Esquire Theatre, during the last weekend before its closure. July 12, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Last, we spoke with Kurt Heiner and Alex Fountain, both local projectionists.

    Heiner got his start at Landmark Theatres and said he’s been coming to the Esquire his entire life.

    “I feel like every cool building and every cool thing is just getting turned into whatever,” he said.

    “Cinema history is here. It’s important to keep Denver history alive. But the money is not there, I guess.”

    Fountain noted that the Esquire is one of the oldest continually operating theaters in Denver.

    “It’s a very sad time,” he said.

    Enjoy the Esquire’s final days through Thursday, July 18. The theater is currently screening A Quiet Place: Day One and MaXXXine.

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  • Ronin Assets Founder to Redevelop Former Grenelefe Golf Club

    Ronin Assets Founder to Redevelop Former Grenelefe Golf Club

    Ronin Assets founder Scott House wants to transform the former Grenelefe Golf and Tennis Club in Haines City, Florida, into a sprawling residential community.

    House’s ambitious plan calls for almost 1,900 single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes and apartments across 536 acres, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The plans came to light in advance of a Polk County Development Review Committee meeting last week.

    The resort, at 3200 Kokomo Road, is about 40 miles southwest of Orlando, and about 70 miles east of Tampa. 

    An LLC linked to House purchased the former golf and tennis club for $3.1 million in 2022 from timeshare giant Westgate Resorts, which had owned and operated it since 2004. Westgate sold another portion of the site, comprising 417 condominiums, to Alya Grenelefe LLC for $31.5 million.

    The 1,273-acre former resort was once a bustling destination with three top-tier golf courses, 22 tennis courts, a convention center, three restaurants, four swimming pools, a planned marina on Lake Marion and condos.

    House’s plan will split the redevelopment into two primary sections, divided by Kokomono Road. For Grenelefe East, spanning 350 acres, he aims to replace the former convention center and tennis facility with 651 single-family homes, situated on 50- and 60-foot lots. It would also include roughly 200 townhouse units, 80 apartments and an 84-unit duplex community where the marina had been planned, the outlet said.

    Grenelefe West, spanning 186 acres on the former golf course, is slated for 866 residences, including 488 single-family homes and a townhouse community with 100 units.

    The project reflects a growing trend of repurposing failed golf courses for infill housing developments. In Orlando, Westside Capital Group has been greenlit to convert the former Lake Orlando golf course into a mixed-use development with 6,000 residences and 350,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. 

    —Quinn Donoghue 

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  • DeBartolo Starts Office-to-Resi Conversion in Houston

    DeBartolo Starts Office-to-Resi Conversion in Houston


    A vacant office high-rise in West Houston’s Energy Corridor is getting new life as apartments. 

    A venture of Florida-based DeBartolo Development and local investor John Quinlan are converting the former ConocoPhillips and BP building at 550 Westlake Park Boulevard into a 311-unit apartment building, the Houston Chronicle reported. 

    Quinlan bought the 19-story building for $21 million in an online auction in 2022 and later sold it to the venture between his firm and DeBartolo. The conversion is underway, and it’s expected to be completed in late 2025.

    The apartment building will include coworking spaces, a gameroom, a yoga and fitness center and a bike storage room. The developers are extending elevators and stairs to the rooftop, where there will be amenities such as a pool and grilling areas. Some ground-floor units will have private patios.

    Each apartment is designed to have operable windows, ensuring ample natural light and ventilation. The wide floorplates — a characteristic that developers seek when eyeing office-to-residential candidates —  allow for innovative repurposing, with plans for utility rooms in most units, some two-bedroom floor plans and storage units.

    “It will feel like a combination of a luxury hotel and a luxury condominium,” DeBartolo president Edward Kobel told the outlet. “There will be cool amenities like you’d have in a high-rise downtown, but for the rent prices of a low-rise building. It’s an incredible value proposition.”

    The project not only meets the growing demand for housing in West Houston but also aligns with broader national trends of repurposing vacant office space into residences. 

    In downtown Houston, where the office vacancy rate is 25 percent, city officials are exploring a tax-incentive program to spark more office-to-residential conversions. 

    While Houston’s office sector continues to struggle amid the remote-work era, the Energy Corridor has enjoyed a slew of lease signings since last year. Engineering and construction firm Fluor recently added about 104,700 square feet to its lease at Two Eldridge, a 14-story Class A office building that’s now 95 percent leased. 

    Plus, French engineering and technology company Technip Energies leased 171,600 square feet across six floors in the 14-story West Memorial Place II last spring. 

    —Quinn Donoghue

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  • Camden High Rise to Undergo $130M Renovation

    Camden High Rise to Undergo $130M Renovation


    The Northgate high-rise, near the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Camden, New Jersey is set to undergo a massive renovation, with all 321 apartments being refurbished to offer affordable housing for residents with low incomes. 

    The new owners, Hudson Valley Property Group, unveiled the $130 million project last week aimed at enhancing housing affordability and quality in Camden within two years, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

    Constructed in 1963 as a luxury tower, Northgate initially offered hope for an economic resurgence in the city. However, over the years, the tower faced declining occupancy and growing maintenance issues. Recent inspections revealed numerous violations, prompting urgent action from both officials and the new ownership.

    “We’ve been fighting for this for some time,” Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen told the outlet. ”I’ve been on every floor of that building. The code violations are incredible. I know [Hudson Valley] is as passionate as I am about changing that environment.”

    Hudson Valley Property Group specializes in revitalizing distressed urban rental properties, with previous successful projects such as the nearby Crestbury Apartments, now known as Community Meadows. 

    The firm’s co-founder and partner, Andrew Cavaluzzi, revealed plans for immediate preliminary work at Northgate, including meetings with tenants to discuss upgrades and operational changes. Renovations of individual units are slated to begin in April, with tenants temporarily relocating during plumbing stack replacements.

    Cavaluzzi outlined extensive security measures, community facilities, and refurbished retail and office spaces as part of the renovation plans.

    This renovation is part of a larger effort to revitalize the city, which is New Jersey’s poorest, with a 35% poverty rate. Last year Campbell Soup consolidated its office-based employees from Norwalk, Connecticut to its headquarters in Camden.

    “If you look at where we’ve come from there is a demonstrable difference in the city today from 10 years ago,” the county’s Commissioner Jeffrey Nash recently said. “But we cannot become complacent and forget about the promises we’ve made to the people of Camden.”

    — Ted Glanzer



    TRD Staff

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