El Jebel's Movieland Corner This October: A Road Reopening, a Hotel Hearing, and Where the Movies Went

Two decisions about the corner of Highway 82 and El Jebel Road are due this month. They are running on different schedules. Basalt Town Council has a public hearing set for Oct. 13 on a proposed hotel for the former Movieland 7 property. Eagle County's target for finishing the road work around that same lot is Friday, Oct. 30.

So the streets that will carry traffic to and from the old theater site are nearly done. The question of what will generate that traffic is only now reaching a formal hearing. The rest of this post follows that order, from the closed road to the empty lot to the October calendar.

The Streets Are Being Finished First

The intersection project started April 1. It is a nearly $4.52 million effort paid for by Eagle County and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, and Glenwood Springs-based Gould Construction is the contractor. Valley Road has been moved around the west and south sides of the RFTA parking lot. The lot is set to grow to the north and add 15 spaces reserved for electric vehicle charging. Eagle County Senior Engineer Rickie Davies said the work will "improve safety and operations of the East Valley Road and Highway 82 intersection by giving free-flow access to the existing signal."

The reconfiguration of El Jebel Road was always planned as the final phase, and that is the phase underway now. The county's weekly update for Sept. 28 lists these conditions:

• El Jebel Road is closed.
• All traffic is diverted onto New Valley Road.
• Holy Cross and Comcast are still doing utility work.
• Crews are placing subgrade on El Jebel Road and forming and pouring curb and gutter.
• The RFTA Park and Ride is reached from the new intersection of Sopris Village Drive and the Connector Road, also called New Valley Road. Access to the bus station has not changed.

Work runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To reach areas normally served through the El Jebel Road signal, the county suggests Valley Road from the north, or Willits Lane to East Valley Road from the south. The Oct. 30 completion date still appears on the county's project page, last updated Sept. 29. That date is a forecast. It has not been confirmed as a reopening. Questions go to Richard Davies at 970-328-3567.

One part of the new layout is directly tied to the theater property. In June, Davies described a new access drive between the RFTA lot and the old MovieLand 7 building that gives Sopris Village a way out onto Valley Road. "There will always be two accesses out of the subdivision," he said. Once that access road is finished, the western stretch of Sopris Village Drive closes.

The Building That Anchored the Corner

Movieland 7 opened in fall 1991. Its last day was Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, after more than 34 years. Ben Moss told the Post Independent that the theater had lost money every year since reopening after the pandemic, with "no realistic prospect of reversing that." Rising operating costs, fewer films and lower attendance tied to streaming all played a part.

Its role went beyond first-run films. Challenge Aspen CEO Lindsay Cagley called it "a community gathering space." The nonprofit used it for its programs, including free movies for athletes when rain canceled outdoor activities. A Sopris Sun columnist remembered Movieland as a valued family outing and called the loss "crushing."

What Is Proposed for the Lot

The application in front of Basalt is for a three-story, 93-room extended-stay Residence Inn by Marriott, with three deed-restricted homes on site for employees. Earlier coverage in June described 94 rooms, which reflects an earlier stage of the proposal. WalshDupart submitted the application for Bowtie Partners and Ben Moss, a part-time valley resident. The hotel would be a franchise owned and run by Moss and Bowtie Partners, not by Marriott. A rendering places the building on the east end of the site, where the theater's parking lot used to be.

"This property, and Movieland in particular, has been a multigenerational family business, and my strong desire is that this property's next phase continue in that manner and spirit," Moss told council.

Councilor Hannah Berman asked why the applicant chose Marriott. Grant Dupart answered that the valley already has traveling workers who are only allowed to stay at certain hotel chains. The application estimates 16 jobs. Town guidelines require housing mitigation of at least 15 percent, which works out to 1.35 units, so the three proposed units go beyond the minimum.

The neighboring Sopris Village Subdivision raised concerns, and the applicant responded with a "good-neighbor plan." It includes:

1. Parking passes issued to guests
2. Quiet hours enforced by hotel staff
3. On-site pet relief stations

Separately, in response to neighbors' comments, the applicant asked Marriott to reduce brand signage and lighting to limit the hotel's visual impact.

The proposal has a land-use hurdle to clear. Basalt's Future Land Use Map shows the site as existing land use, and that designation would need to be amended for the hotel to go forward. Most of the Basalt Planning and Zoning Committee did not support the proposal, and the committee could not agree on whether a hotel fits the site.

Traffic Is the Open Question

At the Sept. 8 introduction, council did not review the application itself. Members heard a presentation and listed what else they needed before formal consideration. Mayor David Knight asked the applicant for more information on traffic impact. Councilors Angela Anderson and Elyse Hottel said the community benefit was still unclear. Anderson also spoke about how close the hotel would be to neighbors. "I live in Willits and I see how close the Element [Hotel] is to those homes, and to think that this would be even closer really gives me pause," she said.

This is where the two schedules meet. The traffic study the mayor asked for will describe cars entering and leaving a parcel whose surrounding streets are being poured right now. Those streets include a relocated Valley Road, a new access drive along the old theater, and a rebuilt El Jebel Road meant to give free-flow access to the existing signal. When council takes up the hotel's traffic on Oct. 13, it will be weighing a layout that is nearly finished. If Eagle County meets its target, that layout opens about two and a half weeks later.

The Oct. 13 hearing is the latest schedule on record. The town calendar lists a Council meeting that Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m.

Where the Screens Are Now

Since January, the Isis Theatre in Aspen and the Crystal Theatre in Carbondale have been the only commercial movie theaters in the valley. The Crystal is now run by the Crystal Theatre Alliance, which took over after longtime owners Bob and Kathy Ezra retired. It has hosted screenings, trivia and a 5 Point retrospective.

Closer to the old Movieland, The Arts Campus at Willits has screen events on its October calendar. That includes a National Theatre Live broadcast of Frankenstein, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Friday, Oct. 30. TACAW says it wants to keep the film's traditions going, naming rice throwing and water guns among them.

The newest business on this stretch serves the morning, not the evening. Circadian Coffee Co., owned by Heather Short, opened its walk-up window at 70 El Jebel Road in late June and added a drive-thru shortly after. It sits in the plaza by El Jebel Laundromat, pours Wild Roaster coffee alongside locally made food, and is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Wednesday.

October, Date by Date

RFTA's fall schedules began Sept. 21. The Roaring Fork Valley Local runs daily on a reduced and adjusted timetable, and VelociRFTA runs daily with more frequent peak service and extended evening hours. Until El Jebel Road reopens, the Park and Ride entrance is at the new Sopris Village Drive and Connector Road intersection.

If you want to talk through what changes at the Movieland corner could mean for a property you own in El Jebel or Willits, Stephanie Lewis follows the Basalt hearings and the county's road updates closely. Book a private consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.