New Hotel, Restaurant, and Lounge Coming to the Old Rossonian Building

A 105-year-old hotel in Five Points is getting new life with a historic purpose. After sitting vacant since 1998, the Rossonian will reopen as a hotel and jazz lounge along with a restaurant, some AirBnB-style rooms, and popular Washington D.C. gathering spot Busboys and Poets across the street from it.

Denver developer Palisade Partners announced the project Monday, Denverite reports. Former Denver Nugget Chauncey Billups has signed on as a partner, and all involved parties say the historic building’s renovation will honor the culture of its former life as well as that of the greater Five Points neighborhood.

The new 41-room hotel will feature a jazz lounge and restaurant on its main floor. In its heyday, the Rossonian building welcomed stars such as Dinah Washington and Louis Armstrong to the Harlem of the West in Denver.

Across the street, Palisade is bringing D.C.-based Busboys and Poets to complement the hotel’s offerings. That restaurant, book shop, and event space traditionally hosts local poets and artists in addition to serving food and coffee. It’s named after Langston Hughes, who, prior to gaining recognition for his writing, worked a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington.

• Historic Rossonian building plans include a hotel, lounge, and Chauncey Billups [DENVERITE]