• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
    • Our Advertisers
  • Distribution Locations
  • Past Issues

The Denver North Star

Your Guide to Community, Politics, Arts and Culture in North Denver

Hot off the Presses!
Check out the Jan 15 – Feb 14 issue here.

Help Us Improve!

Take our community survey and help
guide the direction of the The Denver North Star!

 

  • Community
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Arts
  • Dining
  • Community Calendar
  • Become a Member

North Denver Says Goodbye to a Friend: Local 46 to Close at End of October

September 14, 2020 By David Sabados Leave a Comment

To people outside the community, another bar closing is just a sad COVID-19 statistic and another demolition permit is just a regular week in Denver’s rapidly changing landscape. To almost anyone who walked through the doors of Local 46, this closing is different.

Local 46 will close at the end of October

Andy Carlson of the Highland Ramblers walked through those doors frequently. “Having music there brought people together,” said Carlson. For the Ramblers, regulars in Denver’s live music scene, Local 46 has a special place. “A couple years ago we released a new CD. We’d never done a CD release party before. We knew people would show up. We knew people would be there. It was a blast to play there, but it also meant a lot to the community.”

One of the things Local 46 is best known for is owner Niya Gingerich’s dedication to community and eagerness to use the bar to help whenever she could. Elizabeth Rodriguez is a cancer survivor who was looking for a good location for a fundraiser for First Descents, an organization that raises money to give other young survivors outdoor adventures like rock climbing or surfing. While some venues just see events as a revenue stream, Rodriguez knew Gingerich was different. “She was so great to work with,” said Rodriguez. “She was really amazing. She tried to maximize the amount of money for the organization.” 

On a post announcing the closure, hundreds of Local 46 lovers chimed in with stories about school fundraisers, their favorite bands, and memorable nights at their local water hole. At least one neighbor said they chose their home in part because of proximity to the venue and nightlife. The post’s views are in the tens of thousands. With a diverse, enthusiastic fanbase, it might seem likely that a bar like Local 46 could survive but, to borrow a phrase, winter is coming. 

Niya Gingerich

Niya Gingerich, who has run Local 46 for almost 9 years, said their revenue is down 60% in the pandemic. Over the summer, they’ve managed to keep going because of the beautiful and popular Biergarten with outdoor seating and an outdoor stage for periodic concerts, but she knows that without indoor seating those days are numbered. “We’re all dreading winter,” explained Gingerich. 

For Gingerich, leaving Local 46 is about more than leaving a business; it’s about “the music and the dancing. It was such a special place seeing everyone moving and grooving. It was about the culture and the team to make it special.” Gingerich also wanted the community who supported them to know that as tenants who don’t own the property she isn’t selling and cashing in. “It’s hard to know after 10 years of a really successful concept that we didn’t have a business to sell. I would never choose to have it go away.” Gingerich is planning on spending more time with her two year old daughter and will take some time off but is interested in another community focused business down the road.

Local 46 will host several more concerts in their Biergarten before they close

With just over a year left on their 10 year lease, both Gingerich and the property owners said they came to the only agreement they could financially. Jeff Laws of Berkeley Park Partners LLC who owns the property sent an update to interested parties early September. “This is a tragic situation, but they had planned limited winter hours after the patio season finished. Considering the potential liability for a virus hazardous tenancy not able to pay rent, we agreed to opt for closure.” The owners were granted a demolition permit back in May and will be bringing it to market soon.

Local 46 won’t be closing until the end of October, however, and Gingerich hopes to enjoy the time with the community. She still has several special events outdoor permits for the year and plans on using all of them. “We’re going to go out with as much live music as we can.” 

To see their live music lineup, check out Local46.com.

Filed Under: Dining, Uncategorized

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates about The Denver North Star, your new guide to community, politics, arts and culture in North Denver.

Community Events

The Denver North Star community calendar is coming back! We’ve updated our form to better accept physical and virtual events, as well as to collect additional information possible attendees would like to know.

Please use our new form to submit your event!

Jan 19 2021

Denver’s Housing Challanges

Jan 19 2021

Berkeley Regis United Neighbors (BRUN) Monthly Meeting

Jan 19 2021

HUNI January Board Meeting

Jan 23 2021

Local Quilt Shop Day

Jan 23 2021

Necessity Drive for Latina Safehouse at Denver Elks Lodge #17

No event found!
Load More

Connect With Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Keep Up With Us

The Denver North Star

Recent Comments

  • Karen F Kalavity on More Than Names and Dates: Local Historians Build Community
  • Kathleen Cain on More Than Names and Dates: Local Historians Build Community
  • Lois Harvey on More Than Names and Dates: Local Historians Build Community
  • Lois Harvey on More Than Names and Dates: Local Historians Build Community
  • Mark Barnhouse on More Than Names and Dates: Local Historians Build Community
  • Alan Culpin on More Than Names and Dates: Local Historians Build Community
  • Tom Noel on More Than Names and Dates: Local Historians Build Community

Our Columnists

  • Educator and mom Jill Carstens writes about parenting in her column, Letters from Miss Jill.
  • Librarian Hannah Evans discusses great reads in her Checking Out: Book Reviews column.
  • Dennis Gallagher tells all in his column, Shaping Our Future by Remembering Our Past.
  • Erika Taylor advocates for community wellness in her Taylored Fitness columns.
  • Kathryn White focuses on issues of interest to older adults in her column, The Gray Zone.
  • District 1 Community Resource Officer Bob Anderson focuses on public safety issues in his monthly column.

Our Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019

All Categories

  • Arts and Culture
  • Cannabis
  • Checking Out Book Reviews
  • Community
  • Community Voices
  • Coronavirus News
  • Denver North Star News
  • Dining
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Featured
  • Globeville
  • Guest Column
  • Health
  • Legislature
  • Local Dining
  • Opinion
  • Parenting
  • Politics
  • Public Safety
  • Shaping Our Future by Remembering Our Past
  • Student Voices
  • Taylored Fitness
  • The Gray Zone
  • Transportation
  • Uncategorized

Copyright © 2021 · All Rights Reserved