End of an Era

Like many cities, our downtown has undergone a renaissance or two. Or three. Our first organized "redo" took place in the 1960s and '70s, before I lived here (we moved to Colorado Springs in 1979). A number of old historic buildings were razed, replaced by some mid-century coolness and some not-so-cool brutalist behemoths, most of which remain. A clutch of mid-century movie theaters managed to hang on into the 1980s, but have long since been replaced or repurposed into office or retail space -- one is even a climbing gym now. The lone downtown movie theater survivor is this lovely little gem, probably built in the 1930s and somehow managing to escape the wrecking ball as the decades passed. It was always known as the Peak Cinema, and had really started to decline when it was saved by Kimball Bayles in the mid 1990s. He restored its original Art Déco glamor, started serving wine and desserts, and immediately set it apart from the big multiplex cinemas by featuring independent, arty films. It was an instant success, and in a way it kind of brought downtown more to life. Every city should have a theater like this, a place to see off-the-beaten track films, movies that don't feature car chases or explosions. Movies that make you think.

Kimball died last month of cancer. I did not know him personally but we had many friends in common. His passing sent a ripple of shock and sorrow throughout the community. The cinema is still closed. I truly hope that this isn't the end of it.