Denver's iconic Continental Theater building set to be demolished
Plans are in the works for a former Denver landmark to be demolished. The movie theater near Interstate 25 and Hampden Avenue has been closed for several years. But Denverites who were around in its heyday know it as the old Continental Theater, an iconic destination for decades.
It's been years since Jerry Wheeler and Mike Allen have seen each other, but returning to the theater they used to work at made it seem like no time had passed.
"This theater joins us all," said Wheeler who worked as the Continental's projection booth assistant manager. "It's like the last time we saw each other was yesterday. Now it's just that kind of a bond, that kind of a friendship, and it's all because of the Continental."
The theater first opened in 1966 and featured a massive giant screen. At the time, the largest in the state.
"You could literally be absorbed into the film," said Mike Allen, the theater's former manager. "It changes the dynamic when there's 900 people watching a movie, some of whom stood in line for hours to get in."
The theater abruptly closed as the Regal Continental in 2023. What's left of it now is a shell of what it once was.
"It was very much a destination theater," said Wheeler. "People, all kinds of people would show up, the Bronco players, Rockies players."
Still, the memories of the iconic theater remain. Mike Allen was the general manager in the 80s when it caught on fire. He keeps a framed picture of him carrying the film of Return of the Jedi out of the building.
"That gutted the lobby and did significant damage to the ceiling and stuff in the auditorium, and we were shut down for about nine months for a complete remodel to recover from that fire," said Allen.
Over the years, the theater changed significantly, along with the theater industry. But what's standing, for however long, is a symbol of a place that once brought together a community.
"That is more what this is about to me than the physical building itself," said Allen. "The relationships are timeless."
Demolition signs have been placed on the property and a local development firm has plans to turn it into a mixed-use development with both apartments and retail space.
