The Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA) announced today that it has approved funding for its 15th project downtown since applications for DDDA funding first opened in March 2025. The DDDA Board of Directors approved the renovation of the historic Barth Hotel building located at 1514 17th St. in downtown Denver.
The Barth Hotel, built in 1882, is listed in federal and state historic registers and is a designated local Denver landmark. After the building’s early life as a hotel, it operated for approximately 45 years as an assisted living facility, which closed in 2024. After renovations, the Barth Hotel will be able to reopen as housing for lower-income seniors in the 30% – 50% area median income (AMI) range in the Denver community. The project will create 50 new residential units under an existing affordability covenant.
The Barth Hotel remodel will include converting the building from the previous assisted living facility, which had small rooms with shared bathrooms serving many units, to larger studio apartments that each contain a kitchen and a private bathroom. Work will also improve building common areas, add air conditioning, install new elevators, and upgrade the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The renovated building will be all-electric, which is unusual and innovative in an adaptive reuse project in a historic building. The development team comprises Eaton Senior Communities, Shopworks Architecture, Deneuve Construction, and Urban Ventures Development Services.
In the meeting today, the DDDA Board of Directors approved a low-interest loan of up to $6 million to support the Barth Hotel redevelopment. The project is also applying for federal and state historic tax credits, which may reduce the amount of the DDDA loan. Construction is expected to start in 2027.
“We are so appreciative of the investment of the DDDA into this important building that supports the diversity of Downtown Denver and can welcome seniors back to the neighborhood,” said Susan Powers, president of Urban Ventures LLC and part of the Barth Hotel redevelopment team.
“A vibrant downtown is a downtown for everyone. That means ensuring Denver stays affordable for those who have long called this city home,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “Through the DDA we’re replacing empty buildings with exciting opportunities, adding homes and businesses—and judging by all the visitors we’ve seen recently—convincing Denverites to come back downtown and see what they’ve been missing.”
“This project is exactly the kind of investment our Downtown Neighborhood Plan was designed to support. Senior affordable housing is needed now more than ever, and this redevelopment shows how the DDDA can help deliver housing that meets real community needs while strengthening downtown Denver,” said Denver City Council President and DDDA Board Member Amanda P. Sandoval.
The DDDA has now approved over $170 million in support for new retail and entertainment destinations downtown, new parks and public spaces, and new housing at a range of price points.
