Five-Year Church Conversion Targets Life-Renters in Soft Denver Market
Two Denver developers reopened a 1910 Classical Revival church at 225 E. Bayaud Ave. as Chloé, a 22-unit luxury rental property, after a five-year adaptive reuse project. Travis McAfoos and Tiannis Bellis acquired the former Second Christian Scientist Church through PIII Grant St. LLC for $1.5 million in 2021 and spent what McAfoos described as “a small fortune” on restoration. Boulder-based RHAP Architecture + Planning designed the conversion, which preserved original columns estimated at 10,000 pounds each, Carnegie steel beams, and stained glass skylights. The building now meets 2026 code requirements including all-electric systems and new fire suppression.
Each of the 22 units incorporates salvaged church elements: kitchen islands built from pew ends, organ flutes converted to light fixtures, pew benches repurposed as stair treads, and exposed brick and arched ceilings. No two units are identical due to the building’s irregular geometry, which led developers to create multilevel layouts with lofts or subterranean bedrooms. Four corner units include rooftop decks with views of Pikes Peak, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater, and downtown. Rents range from $3,000 to $7,000 per month, with up to 10 weeks of concessions offered on select units.
McAfoos completed his fifth Denver adaptive reuse project despite complications from pandemic-era labor and material costs and lengthy city permitting reviews. The developer, who previously worked on Patterson Inn and the Holiday Theatre in the Highlands, said the church conversion was the most difficult but best result of his portfolio. He described the target tenant as life-renters seeking luxury without homeownership responsibilities. Denver’s rental market remains soft for new inventory, creating pressure on lease-up for boutique projects priced at the high end of the market.
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