DENVER – Denver Arts & Venues (DAV) is pleased to announce that Denver City Council has approved an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) making Community College of Denver (CCD) to its operating partner for the Theatre at Loretto Heights. Under the agreement, DAV retains full ownership of the facility and oversees capital improvements, while CCD will manage day-to-day operations – staffing, programming, ticketing, marketing and community engagement. It’s a partnership model that’s the first of its kind in the country.
The approval builds on momentum from the theatre’s groundbreaking ceremony on July 24, where City leaders, community members and others gathered to mark the imminent start of renovation and construction at the historic Loretto Heights campus.
“We are so thrilled to reach this milestone and begin bringing the Theatre at Loretto Heights back to life,” said Gretchen Hollrah, DAV’s executive director. “This partnership is the result of years of listening to our community, exploring what this space could become and working together to build a model that honors both the history of Loretto Heights and its future. I’m incredibly grateful to the entire Denver Arts & Venues team and all of our community and education partners who helped bring this vision forward. We are bringing this space back to its original use as a teaching theatre.”
“We are so thrilled to reach this milestone in bringing the Theatre at Loretto Heights back to life,” said Gretchen Hollrah, DAV’s executive director. “I want to thank Tariana Navas-Nievas, DAV’s Executive Deputy Director, for her role in developing this partnership, which reflects years of listening to our community about what this space could become and ensures the theatre will serve as a true anchor for the arts and education for generations. We are bringing this space back to its original use as a teaching theatre.”
Since 2017, DAV has engaged more than 70 arts and cultural organizations and evaluated five operating models used across the performing arts sector (city-run, non-profit, institutional / educational, collaborative and commercial) to find the right fit to deliver on the community’s vision for the space, now and into the future.
That process made clear that an institutional / education partner that was rooted in education and workforce development best served DAV’s and the community’s goals of cultural equity and access while preserving the theatre and the historic Loretto Heights campus, long a center of education in Denver, for future generations.
CCD stood out for its theatre program’s strong roots in acting, technical production and stagecraft, and for a 100% acceptance policy that places access at the center of its mission. That combination of academic vitality and vibrant public programming will help turn the theatre into a talent pipeline for Denver’s creative economy.
The project will also open a new career pathway into the arts at Loretto Heights: a customized two-year associate degree with CCD that lets students earn while they learn, then continue into a four-year program or head straight into the workforce. With most students graduating debt-free, CCD is well positioned to make careers in the arts more accessible to the next generation.
“This is a proud moment for CCD,” said Barry Hubbard, Dean of Instruction for Arts, Communication, & Design and Education Pathways at CCD. “The Theatre at Loretto Heights gives our students an unmatched opportunity to learn theatre production and venue management in a real, working venue, while helping preserve a space that has already shaped so many of Denver’s students in the past.”
“Denver is at its best when we make sure every student has the opportunity to discover their talent and build a future doing what they love,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “The Theatre at Loretto Heights will do exactly that and bring students, educators and Denver’s arts community together in a world-class working theatre. This partnership honors the history of Loretto Heights while creating a new pathway into the creative economy, making the arts more accessible and opening doors to opportunity for the next generation of Denver creatives.”
Originally part of Loretto Heights College, founded in 1888 when the Catholic Sisters of Loretto purchased the hilltop property south of Denver, the theatre was designed by architect G. Meredith Musick and completed in 1963. At the time, it was Denver's second-largest indoor theatre and one of the most professionally equipped educational performance venues in the country.
Denver voters approved the RISE Bond in 2021, which includes funding to partially support the $60 million theatre renovation, the first phase of which includes renovation of the theatre building, improved accessibility and ADA compliance, upgraded technology and building code compliance. In 2025, voters approved an additional $4M in Vibrant Bond funding to support the construction of a new dedicated parking structure adjacent to the theatre.
The renovation is expected to be completed in 2028, with operations starting shortly thereafter.
For additional information, visit artsandvenues.com/loretto-heights or ccd.edu.
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About Denver Arts & Venues
Denver Arts & Venues’ mission is to enrich Denver’s quality of life and economic vitality through the advancement of arts, culture and entertainment opportunities for all. Denver Arts & Venues oversees Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, Colorado Convention Center, Denver Coliseum, Theatre at Loretto Heights and McNichols Civic Center Building, using proceeds from events at these venues to run and maintain these facilities and to provide access to art for all through free and low-cost community events, grants for artists and arts organizations, public art and art education. Using Good Times, For Good. For more information, visit www.ArtsandVenues.com
About Community College of Denver
Community College of Denver (CCD) is a fully accredited leading Colorado community college. CCD was voted Colorado’s Best Community College in the Denver Metro area by The Colorado Sun readers. CCD is recognized for graduating students with less debt and for its guaranteed transfer agreements with all Colorado state colleges and universities. The college also leads with innovative on-campus and online certificate and degree programs. CCD offers a no-tuition high school diploma program to help students start on the path of their choice. To learn more about CCD and its programs, resources, industry partnerships and foundation giving, visit ccd.edu.
About Denver GO Bonds
General obligation (GO) bonds are a long-term debt instrument issued by state or local governments to fund public capital improvement projects such as roads, bridges, bikeways, public facilities and parks. This includes restoring, replacing and expanding existing capital assets. Local GO Bond Programs are authorized by Denver voters every 4-10 years and repaid through property taxes. Elevate Denver is a 10-year, $937 million general obligation bond program approved by voters in 2017 to execute nearly 500 projects. RISE Denver is a 10-year, $260 million general obligation bond program approved by voters in 2021 to execute more than 80 projects. Vibrant Denver is a 6-year, $950 million general obligation bond program approved by voters in 2025 to deliver 58 projects across Denver. For more information, visit denvergov.org/GoBonds.
