DENVER, CO — After decades of stalled redevelopment efforts and years of planning, the long-awaited restoration of the historic Rossonian Hotel in Denver's Five Points neighborhood has reached another major milestone. The City and County of Denver has officially approved the project's formal Site Development Plan, moving the proposed redevelopment of one of the city's most culturally significant buildings another step closer to construction.
Conceptual Rendering of the Rossonian Hotel and Restaurant | Sourced from Craine Architecture
Developing Denver has been tracking the application for 982 days, following its progress through the city's development review process as the project worked toward approval.
Located at 2650 Welton Street, the Rossonian Hotel was originally constructed in 1912 as the Baxter Hotel before being renamed in 1929. During the height of Five Points' jazz era, when the neighborhood was known as the "Harlem of the West," the Rossonian became a cultural gathering place for Denver's Black community and a destination for legendary musicians, including Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald.
The hotel closed in 1973, and despite several redevelopment proposals over the following decades, efforts to restore the historic property have repeatedly stalled. Now, the latest plans aim to bring the Rossonian back to life through a combination of historic preservation, new construction, and modern hospitality spaces.
The newly approved Site Development Plan covers approximately 85,000 square feet of development, including the restoration of the original Rossonian building and construction of an eight-story addition reaching approximately 96 feet. The approved plans include 90 hotel rooms across the historic building and its addition, a ground-floor restaurant and bar, and additional hotel-related spaces. The broader redevelopment also incorporates portions of the neighboring Hooper Building, bringing the planned total to approximately 126 hotel rooms across the properties.
Additional amenities are expected to include a live music lounge, flexible meeting and event spaces, and outdoor café seating. The redevelopment will preserve the Rossonian's recognizable triangular façade and historic brick exterior while introducing contemporary architecture and updated interiors.
Conceptual Rendering of the Rossonian Hotel and Restaurant | Sourced from Craine Architecture
The project has also made significant progress on financing. In June 2026, Denver City Council approved a tax increment financing agreement allowing the Denver Urban Renewal Authority to reimburse up to $15.5 million in eligible redevelopment costs through future property and sales tax revenues generated by the project.
The approved Site Development Plan lists an estimated construction valuation of approximately $32.6 million for the 85,000-square-foot development. However, documents presented to Denver City Council earlier this year estimate the broader redevelopment's total cost at approximately $101 million, reflecting a larger project scope and additional expenses beyond the construction valuation identified in the SDP.
Although the Site Development Plan has now been approved, additional permitting and construction work remain before the hotel can reopen. The development team is currently targeting a 2028 opening. After decades of uncertainty, the Rossonian's latest approval represents an important step toward restoring a landmark that helped shape the cultural identity of Five Points and bringing new activity to the historic Welton Street corridor.
Development Team:
Developer: Palisade Partners / Rossonian Development Authority
Architect: Craine Architecture
General Contractor: Milender White
Interior Designer: Semple Brown
Civil Engineer: Harris Kocher Smith
Structural Engineer: KL&A
MEP Engineer: MDP Engineering Group
Landscape Architect: Back40 Landscape Architecture
Hotel Operator: CoralTree Hospitality
Read More About Upcoming Construction Projects
Get a deeper dive on the who, what, when and why behind the city’s next construction projects.
Interested in sponsorship? Learn more about a founding sponsors and how to get involved.
All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
5 minute read • California-based Tipsy Putt is bringing its first Colorado location to a 12,500-square-foot commercial space at 1755 Blake Street in LoDo