The Esquire Theater — a nearly 100-year-old staple of Denver cinema — may be nearing its final days as a place to see a film.

Plans submitted to Denver’s Permitting and Licensing Center at the end of last month may give a hint at what’s next for the building just south of the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The application proposes the conversion of the 9,175-square-foot theater building at 590 Downing St. into spaces for restaurants, office and retail spaces.

The building remaining a movie theater isn’t noted in the application.

Since its start as the single-screen Hiawatha Theatre in 1927, the movie theater has both expanded and withstood the test of time. In 1980, the theater became part of the Landmark Theater chain.

The theater was shut down for most of 2018 after a water-main break. It reopened in 2019.

The pandemic shutdown led the owner to put it up for sale. The building was purchased by Sam Leger and Tim Finholm for $2.1 million in 2021. Both were listed in the application for conversion. The building currently continues to operate as a Landmark theater.

Leger did not respond with comment in time of reporting.

According to LoopNet, the theater’s lease is expiring in July 2024 and does not have a renewal option.

The plans also propose an addition on the south end of the building, stretching into the parking lot. The first floor would be divided into two units available for retail or restaurant space. The upstairs would be turned into office space. The historic Esquire Theater sign would remain on the building, though.

Due to the location being in a Denver historical district, the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission must approve of the construction to the building.

If approved, the project is estimated to start in June 2024 and finish by January 2025.