A long-time movie theater located in Louisville, Colorado may soon see a repurposing that will turn it into affordable staff and faculty housing.
The University of Colorado at Boulder has announced plans to reconvert the Regal Cinebarre movie house, which ceased operations last month.
Located at 1164 W. Dillon Road, the theater sits on an 8.8-acre site on the southwest side of the city and measures nearly 54,000 square feet.
Designated as a Class B structure, the one-story building was built in 1995. The movie house itself was part of the more than 420-theater Regal Cinemas chain.
The university bought the property – which is in a fast-growing residential and commercial part of the city – last fall for around $10 million.
“This area has significant redevelopment potential,” Nicole Mueksch, a spokesperson for the university, was quoted as remarking in the Colorado Hometown Weekly newspaper.
The site itself, continued Mueksch, “is an ideal candidate for a mixed-use, transit-oriented development that includes housing.”
The new housing project will not happen overnight: a public input meeting is scheduled for July 25, with a precise plan for both the site and building set to be completed in December of next year. Construction could then begin by the summer of 2026.
By Garry Boulard
Image Credit: Courtesy of Unsplash