One of downtown Denver’s most enduring retailers will close, ending a 113-year run.
Kortz Jewelers will be shuttered on the 16th Street Mall between Champa and Curtis streets because owner Bob Kortz said he was unable to reach a favorable extension on the store’s lease, which runs through June.
Additionally, Kortz, 71, said both of his sons have pursued careers in other industries, leaving no one to take over the family business.
“I just didn’t want to go through a move,” Kortz said. “It seemed like this was a good time and a classy way to go out.”
Kortz Jewelers closed Monday to prepare for an invitation-only sale today for select customers. Later this week, the store will begin advertising its impending closure. Kortz has not set a closing date but expects to remain open through the holidays.
As employees were busy putting the final touches in place for today’s event, Kortz proudly showed off a collection of black-and-white photos.
His great-uncle Harry Kortz and his wife, Sarah, founded Kortz Jewelers in 1892. A cousin, Phil Kleiger, led the business before Bob Kortz’s father, Ben Kortz, took it over. Bob Kortz joined after he got out of the U.S. Army.
“Their longevity and their commitment to staying downtown during the entire duration their business was in operation is inspirational to other businesses, especially family-owned business,” said Tamara Door, president of the Downtown Denver Partnership, an association representing downtown business interests.
The store has been in the same location in downtown’s University Building for 80 years, providing the Kortzes a front-row view of the many changes the city has undergone. Among the most pivotal was the conversion of 16th Street to a pedestrian district with free shuttle service. The project was completed in 1982.
“It was three years of the biggest mess you’ve ever seen,” Kortz recalled. “It looked like a war zone. They tore out the center of the street and the sidewalk.”
While the construction made the store difficult to access, the company took it in stride and bought ads poking fun at the circumstances. One showed a man parachuting in to get into the store and promised it was worth the effort.
The changes brought about by the completion of the mall were worth the inconvenience, Kortz said.
“It changed the complexion of downtown, but for the better,” he said.
Kortz made headlines in 1976 when he was called on to track down a black diamond for Elvis Presley. After locating the gem, Kortz drove it to Vail, where Presley was staying. Kortz spent much of the night hanging out with Presley and a group of friends he was entertaining.
“It was just a riot. We just talked for hours,” Kortz said.
He admits he has mixed emotions as he prepares to close and adds that he has received countless calls from customers who are sorry to see him go.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at karellano@denverpost.com or 303-820-1902.
