DENVER – Denver's Harvey Park neighborhood is getting a long-awaited community gathering space as the historic May Bonfils Theatre at Loretto Heights prepares for a $45 million renovation.
The theater, completed in 1963, was named for Denver philanthropist May Bonfils Stanton, who endowed both the theater and the campus library at what was then Loretto Heights College.
The college, founded in 1888 by the Catholic Sisters of Loretto, closed in 1989. The building has been largely dormant since Colorado Heights University closed in 2017.
Denver voters approved $45 million in RISE Bond funding in 2021 to support the first phase of the project, which includes renovation of the theater building, improved accessibility and ADA compliance, and upgraded technology and building code compliance. In 2025, voters approved an additional $4 million in Vibrant Bond funding to support construction of a dedicated parking structure adjacent to the theater.
The city of Denver owns the theater, and a new partnership with the Community College of Denver will bring the building back to life as both a performing arts venue and an educational facility. Construction is underway, with an opening expected in mid-2028.
For residents like Jessica Taufer, who lives near Loretto Heights, the project brings a community gathering space to a neighborhood that doesn’t have many.
"It doesn't exist right now, and obviously I feel like that's how you connect with people, be able to experience new things and right now there's none of that around here," Taufer said.
"You really have to go other places in Denver to experience that type of feel. So, I think it'll be really exciting.”
The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, a private supporter of arts and culture in Denver, provided seed funding that helped make the project viable.
"It just felt like a perfect fit with the opportunity to invest in something that this neighborhood really doesn't have at the moment, and those factors made it just a no-brainer from an investment standpoint," said Anthony Grimes, Director of Communications and Policy for the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.
► Watch Ethan Carlson's report in the video below:
Grimes, who lives in Harvey Park, said the theater will do more than entertain.
"You have an actual physical location that then supports the best of the ideas, hopes, and dreams of the people in this neighborhood," Grimes said. "Now, instead of a barren backyard, you have a place you can walk, bike, take a car to, and come see a show as a family.”
Denver City Council Member Kevin Flynn, who represents Harvey Park, said the partnership with the Community College of Denver is central to the project's mission.
"It brings the Community College of Denver into the building to operate it, and to teach the students all the skills they need in performing arts management, event management, you name it. Audio, visual," Flynn said. "We listened to the voices of the people in Southwest Denver, and one thing they wanted was they wanted this theater to be saved and they wanted to be open again," Flynn said.
Flynn, who said he grew up in community theater starting at age 10, said the venue could shape the next generation of Southwest Denver residents.
"There's a lot of 10-year-old boys and girls in Southwest Denver who are trying to find out who they are and what they can do in life," Flynn said. "They will be able to find their voice on that stage."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
