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Mayan's owners won't raze it

John Rebchook, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 27, 2006 at midnight

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The new owner of the historic Mayan Theatre on South Broadway loves the historic building and never had any plans to raze it.

"In fact it is quite the opposite: If there is anything we can do to enhance the Mayan, we would do it," said Jim Adelstein, a vice president of Northwestern Engineering Co., on Wednesday.

The Rapid City, S.D.-based company recently paid about $6.8 million for the block at First Avenue and Broadway that includes the Art Deco-Mayan Revival-style building.

"We think it is a fantastic piece of architecture," Adelstein said. "We obviously bought the block because we think it makes good business sense. But one of the underlying things that we look at is its intrinsic value, and we think the Mayan adds to its intrinsic value. We also think the Key Bank building (on the site) is very nice."

He added that Landmark

Theatres recently renewed its lease in the building.

It's too early to say how Northwestern will redevelop the block, which includes 124,000 square feet of land and 59,000 square feet of buildings. It won't include a big-box retailer, Adelstein said.

"It will be something that is in the best interests of the neighborhood," he said.

Kathleen Brooker, president of Historic Denver Inc., was pleased to learn the building isn't facing the wrecking ball as it did in the mid-1980s.

"It is a very beloved building. I couldn't imagine someone buying it with plans to tear it down," Brooker said.

Greg McKernan, president of the Baker Historic Neighborhood Association, also was glad to hear the Mayan will be preserved.

"The neighborhood will be very happy to hear about that," McKernan. "It should be a nice building to build around architecturally."

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