The shuttered Chez Artiste movie theater in Denver’s University Hills neighborhood may be torn down.
The owner of the shopping center where the theater once operated is proposing that demolition as part of a larger redevelopment and beautification effort.
“The existing theater space will be demolished and the lot it stands on will be prepared for a future commercial lot. The proposed user is still undefined,” the owner said in a document submitted to Denver last month.
Chez Artiste, which opened in 1972, was closed by owner Landmark Theatres in August 2024.
The 2870 S. Colorado Blvd. shopping center is owned by Southern California-based Zurich Investment Co. It is anchored by a Walgreens drugstore and a Sprouts grocery, which are adjacent to a liquor store.
A second strip mall building set farther from Colorado is home to a number of smaller tenants, including a computer store and personal trainer.
In March, Farnsworth Group, an architecture firm working on behalf of Zurich, submitted a large development review document to Denver.
In it, Zurich said it “intends to redevelop the property into a vibrant neighborhood hub that more effectively serves the surrounding community.”
“Existing structures will undergo a significant transformation to help modernize the center and attract tenants that are in line with the existing anchor tenants,” the company said.
In addition to demolishing Chez Artiste, the anchor buildings “will be modified with new exterior finish work that will dramatically improve their appearance,” Zurich said.
Some demolition would also occur within the second strip filled with smaller tenants, Zurich said.
The strip currently has about 29,000 square feet of retail space, according to city records. Zurich’s plans show it being reduced to 18,000.
The plans also propose a bank building at the northwest corner of the site, currently part of the parking lot.
Zurich and Farnsworth Group didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Chez Artiste owner Landmark also closed the Esquire Theatre along Sixth Avenue in Denver in 2024. That building is being turned into office and retail space.
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