For those of you may have missed this news item, the block containing the historic Mayan Theatre at 1st and Broadway has been sold to Northwestern Engineering. There appears to be no immediate need for alarm with regard to historic preservation, as the new owners decry any intentions to destroy the site, but it's certainly an enduring concern.

Because the city's historic preservation statute was improperly written, individual landmarks can still be destroyed. If a current or future owner decided that that McDonald's would offer a more profitable use for the site, they could tear down the building with no public input after just a year's delay. Few people are aware of this issue outside of Historic Denver and of course the real estate community, so neighborhood support (through publicity campaigns and letters to elected officials) would be much appreciated.

Since Landmark Theatres has recently renewed its lease in the building, it will probably remain an arts theatre for many years. And even if they relinquished their lease on the site, the liquor license recently granted to them could not be transferred to a third party, thanks to the foresight of our neighborhood organizations and especially WWPNA zoning chair Charlotte Winzenberg [see attached agreement]. So we have some protection for the use, but relatively little for the actual structure itself.

More information on the sale can be found at the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News.