TOM WINS THE BATTLE OVER TOM'S DINER.

AuthorBritschgi, Christian

FOR THE PAST 20 years, Tom Messina has run Tom's Diner, a popular 24-hour eatery in Denver, Colorado. After two decades behind the grill, Messina decided to hang up his apron and retire.

"I'm a restaurateur who's worked his life flipping pancakes and selling eggs. I have a beautiful family I want to spend time with," says Messina, 60.

Local developer Alberta Company offered to buy Tom's Diner for $4.8 million in order to redevelop the site into an apartment complex. Messina planned on pocketing the money and enjoying some quality time with his grandkids. It was shaping up to be a win-win deal until five local activists filed an application in June to declare Tom's Diner a historic landmark. They argued that the mid-century "Googie" architectural style of Messina's building--with its expansive glass windows and tilted roof--was an iconic part of Denver's landscape.

This posed a problem for Messina: Landmarking his building would not only sink the deal he had with Alberta; it would also greatly reduce what he could get from any other developer in a future sale.

In July, the city's Landmark Preservation Commission voted to approve the activists' application. Soon thereafter, a municipal committee voted to proceed with the effort. Only one more vote from the full Denver City Council was needed to officially landmark the property.

But public opinion...

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