On Friday, July 24, Denver officials and arts leaders swapped their usual podiums for hard hats, kicking off a major renovation of the Theatre at Loretto Heights. The project aims to restore the mid-century May Bonfils Stanton Theatre and transform it into a public cultural hub for southwest Denver, with new audience seating, upgraded lighting and AV, and a full overhaul of electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems. The venue is slated to reopen in 2028, and officials are pitching the effort as an investment in arts access, neighborhood opportunity and workforce training.
According to CBS Colorado, voters signed off in 2021 on $60 million to renovate the building, then approved an additional $4 million in Vibrant Bond funding last year for a dedicated parking structure. Mayor Mike Johnston told the crowd the groundbreaking "is about more than restoring a historic theater; it's about creating opportunity and strengthening community."
What the renovation will change
Denver Arts & Venues says Phase I is all about accessibility and bringing the building in line with modern theatrical standards. According to Denver Arts & Venues, the work will add passenger elevators and wheelchair ramps, replace all audience seating with increased row spacing, and upgrade lighting and rigging along with AV systems and orchestra-pit hydraulics. Crews will also remove hazardous materials and replace the building's mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems entirely, to bring the 1963 venue up to code and create flexible space for performances, rehearsals and classes.
Design contract and site
City records show Denver has approved a roughly $9.28 million contract with Perkins Eastman Architects to provide architectural and engineering design services for the Loretto Heights Theater Campus, according to the City of Denver. The filing lists the project address as 3001 S Federal Blvd and details several subcontractors that are part of the design team.
Budget, timeline and partners
According to Denver Arts & Venues, the theatre renovation budget includes $45 million from RISE Bond funds and $15 million from DAV for the theatre scope, for a total of $60 million. The parking structure is backed by $4 million in Vibrant Bond funds and $15 million from DAV, a $19 million package. The agency’s timeline pegs July 24 as the official groundbreaking date, with construction expected to start in late summer or early fall 2026, an operating-partner announcement scheduled for September 2026, and a targeted reopening in 2028.
Where this fits in campus plans
The theatre restoration is pitched as the cultural anchor of a broader 72-acre Loretto Heights Area Plan that also calls for new housing and other uses. Denver7 has covered community meetings and preservation debates around the historic Catholic campus, while Hoodline previously reported on a related housing phase, with a March 2026 groundbreaking for 100 New Affordable Homes on the site.
City leaders say they hope the renovated theatre will give southwest Denver a much-needed public venue for artists, youth programming and technical training, and serve as a neighborhood gathering place. More details on operations, programming and the future operating partner are expected after the September announcement. Construction is scheduled to run through 2027, with the curtain set to rise again in 2028.
