A full-service newsstand called the NewsCube will open on downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall early next week.

Entrepreneur Molly Graham describes her concept as a 21st-century newsstand. It will feature flat-panel TVs displaying breaking news and popular sports events, and music will sometimes play from the stand. In addition, the cube-shaped stand located on the median strip at 16th and California streets will sell more than 400 magazine titles and 15 different newspapers, including The Denver Post.

Outdoor newsstands are nothing new, but when Graham moved back to Denver from Los Angeles, she wondered why the growing city didn’t have one.

“I’m the impulsive person that buys all the magazines,” she said. Now, Graham wants her self-funded newsstand to draw large numbers of passers-by like the ones she used to see in Los Angeles.

“We want people standing around if there’s something serious on CNN,” Graham said. “We want people to say, ‘We’ll meet you at the Cube.’ ”

Each side of the cube is 10 feet long and was designed to accommodate an array of daily publications vying for space.

The NewsCube is a participant in the Downtown Denver Partnership’s mall vendor program, which is designed to aid small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to launch, said Brian Phetteplace, manager of residential and retail development for the partnership.

The mall vending program seeks to increase the quantity and diversity of vendors to make the area more vibrant, Phetteplace said.

“We hope (the NewsCube) is a catalyst for us to really build the momentum,” he said. “It’s already generating excitement. People are interested.”

The cube will be the mall’s first semi-permanent structure and is envisioned to become a landmark for downtown visitors, Phetteplace said.

The NewsCube will sell everything from tabloids to popular weeklies, including ethnic-specific magazines. Snacks, lottery tickets and specialty items also will be sold.

Although print as a medium faces competition from digital formats, Phetteplace said there are a couple of advantages to the NewsCube. He noted that it provides a convenient, quick way to make a purchase and that it is more visible than the magazine section of many indoor stores.

Graham said she’s confident that consumers still buy magazines, even in a depressed economy. Magazines are expected to drive the majority of her sales.

“I’m a fan of the Kindle and the iPad, but you can still read The Wall Street Journal and still have all that,” Graham said. “There’s enough business for everyone.”

The NewsCube will employ three or four people and expects to operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

Rita Wold: 303-954-1488 or rwold@denverpost.com