Monfort Cos. wants to demolish El Chapultepec building. Historic preservationists are fighting it.

Historic Denver on Monday filed a landmark designation application to save the El Chapultepec building, at 1962 Market St. in Lower Downtown Denver, from demolition by its owner, the Monfort Companies.

“The buildings that tell the story of our city aren’t necessarily the glamorous gems that stand out,” said John Deffenbaugh, president and CEO of Historic Denver. “Sometimes they’re subtle, discrete and sit in the background. What sets this apart is the incredible music that took place inside over a very long period of time and the national reputation it earned.”

Monfort Companies, which has owned the building since November 2022, has designed a new bar and restaurant at the site that would remove the old building and replace it with a connected structure and a sprawling patio. The iconic El Chapultepec signage, and a possible Hollywood Walk of Fame-style insta...