1840 N. Grant Street

A former Catholic school in Uptown could be transformed into a boutique hotel, restaurant and community gathering space under a redevelopment proposal led by Denver developer Brian Toerber.

The project would rehabilitate the former Cathedral High School building, which has remained vacant for more than 14 years. The Mediterranean Revival structure was designed by Denver architect Harry J. Manning and is considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places for its association with education between 1921 and 1962.

Plans submitted by Inspire Cathedral LLC call for preserving the historic building while converting it into an independently branded boutique hotel with approximately 40-44 guest rooms. The proposal also includes a full-service restaurant, ground-floor spaces intended for public use and approximately 4,000 square feet of meeting space.

The development application describes the property as one of the remaining distressed sites in an otherwise established section of Uptown. Years of vacancy have resulted in repeated break-ins, property deterioration and concerns about fires and other safety issues. The redevelopment would reopen the building to the public while retaining its historic architecture.

The project is expected to cost approximately $21.5 million. The development team has requested $4.45 million from the Denver Downtown Development Authority to close a financing gap. The remaining capital stack is expected to include developer equity, support from the Denver Urban Renewal Authority and state and federal historic tax credits.

The application originally anticipated construction beginning in early 2026 and completion in the first quarter of 2027. Building permits had not been submitted at the time of the filing, meaning the timeline may change as the project moves through financing, design and city review.

The development team is also negotiating for control of the property’s historic gymnasium. That portion of the campus could eventually become a public fitness and event center with indoor pickleball courts, workout facilities and space for weddings and other gatherings. The proposal also establishes a goal of directing 23% of redevelopment work to small business enterprises and incorporating work from local artists throughout the property.

Toerber leads Inspire Investment Group, a Denver-based real estate investment and development company focused on repositioning and rehabilitating existing properties. His previous work includes an apartment development near City Park and the recently completed transformation of the former All Inn motel along East Colfax Avenue.

Toerber purchased the All Inn property in 2016 and spent years working through plans to reposition the site. The approximately $22 million redevelopment ultimately converted the deteriorating motel into a 54-room boutique hotel with the Mediterranean-inspired FiNO restaurant, outdoor seating and plans for a 6,000-square-foot wine garden. The hotel opened in March 2026 near City Park, the Denver Zoo, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and a future Colfax Bus Rapid Transit station.

The Cathedral High School proposal would follow a similar adaptive-reuse strategy, taking a building that has sat unused for more than a decade and giving it a new hospitality-focused purpose. According to the application, the completed hotel could generate more than $3.5 million in annual revenue while creating new jobs, lodging taxes, restaurant sales and additional activity along Grant Street.

Public funding has not been guaranteed, and the project will still need to complete the city’s permitting and development-review process before construction can begin.