Change in a community doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen. The Walawála Plaza is proof of that.

In the mornings, the plaza is packed with people. If you’re a regular, you know what time Chris will roll up on his Harley, ready to share his love of the flute with anyone who will listen. Across the plaza, the bronze dog statue has become a must-have photo stop for locals and visitors alike. What’s now a gathering place was once only a parking lot. It took time to get here, but today it’s one of the most loved places in our downtown — and a reminder that other spaces waiting for their next chapter hold that same potential.

Urban Cowboy Denver is a 16-room boutique hotel, bar, and restaurant, located in the heart of Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood in a restored 1880s Gilded Age mansion.

On a block of South Rampart Street otherwise dotted by parking lots, a building with a storied past has been given a second life. The structure at 427 S. Rampart St., reduced to rubble by Hurricane Ida in 2021, has been painstakingly rebuilt brick by brick. Its walls carry echoes of a boy who would grow up to define American music, Louis Armstrong.

When Hurricane Ida made landfall in 2021, one of its casualties was the Karnofsky Shop on the 400 block of Rampart Street.

Why it matters: The building crumbled to the ground — but a local architecture firm managed to put it back together, brick by brick.

The big picture: The Karnofsky Shop at 427 Rampart St. is part of a stretch of New Orleans' "back-a-town" known for fostering the city's once-young jazz scene, including the Eagle Saloon, Iroquois Theater and Little Gem Saloon.

Local collaborators reimagine historic Rutledge Hill church for extraordinary events.

ELM Nashville, a restored 19th-century church in downtown’s Rutledge Hill neighborhood, will once again welcome life’s celebrations and creative experiences next year. The new event venue is now accepting booking inquiries and reservations for weddings, corporate gatherings and other occasions beginning March 1, 2026 at elmnashville.com.

The Tudor Arms, a magnificent 12-story Gothic Revival structure east of downtown Cleveland, opened in 1933 as the swanky Cleveland Club. It’s had several incarnations since then – as a hotel, college dorms, a government job-training center.

In 2011, it was transformed into a high-end hotel again – with gorgeous public spaces, including two stunning ballrooms. It’s located at 10660 Carnegie Ave., in the heart of the Cleveland Clinic campus.

Urban Cowboy Denver listed in Conde Nast Traveler's Best Places to Go in 2025

GBX Group CEO, Drew Sparacia, sat down with Ohio Lt. Governor and former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel for an episode of his podcast, It’s All About the Team, to discuss leadership, legacy, and driving impact through community.

Best Southwest Hotel - Urban Cowboy Denver
For whatever brings you to Denver, your stay at this Urban Cowboy location will deliver style and soul in spades. Set inside a restored 1880s Queen Anne mansion in Capitol Hill, this hotel expertly blends historic charm — think gargoyle-carved staircases and stained glass — with bold, Western-inspired design (including hand-hammered copper tubs in every room).

After a day spent hiking the Red Rocks, or exploring RiNo’s extensive street-art scene, grab a seat on-site at Public House (located in the actual former carriage house of the mansion) and order a wood-fired pie from locals Little Johnny B’s. With arguably one of the most creative hotel-bar programs we’ve ever tried (go ahead and order their savory red bell pepper “Kazillionaire” cocktail), Urban Cowboy offers a uniquely Denver experience that’s as memorable as it is Instagram-worthy.

A boutique hotel that brings new life to an historic 1880s mansion, Urban Cowboy Denver settles into its new home with maximalism and reverence. Set in the heart of Capitol Hill, the George Schleier Mansion — once nearly lost to redevelopment — now stands firmly in the present, revived through a renovation project by founders Jersey Banks and Lyon Porter.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As modern glass towers continue to redefine Nashville's downtown landscape, historic buildings like the Frost Building offer a glimpse into the city's architectural past that some say would be impossible to recreate today.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A group dedicated to preserving Nashville’s history says it’s getting harder to do so. However, the organization just got a big win, protecting a building that has stood for more than a century. The Frost building was built in 1913 as the headquarters for the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board. Now it’s an office space.

Downtown’s stately Frost Building has sold for an undisclosed sum to a Cleveland company that specializes in preserving historic structures, according to a release. The five-story stone structure opened in 1913, sits on 0.28 acres and offers an address of 161 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.

Ohio-based GBX Group LLC, a historic preservation real estate group, acquired the Frost Building from Southwest Value Partners, according to a release.

WALLA WALLA – GBX Group LLC, which specializes in acquiring, preserving and operating historic real estate, has partnered with the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation in purchasing and preserving the A.M. Jensen Company building, 54 E. Main St., Walla Walla. The nearly 50,000 square foot building was the former home to the Macy’s department store which closed in 2020.

GBX Group, a real estate company that specializes in restoring historic properties, is the new owner of the Jensen Building, known as the former Macy's department store at 54 E. Main St. in downtown Walla Walla.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - For years, Myrtle Beach leaders have been trying to bring more affordable, workforce housing to city limits. Now, one development group has accomplished that goal in a unique way. Waikiki Village on Ocean Boulevard was once a motel, but has since been transformed into a workforce housing building called The Edge Apartments. “We want to keep this building here forever, we don’t want it to get torn down,” said Jeff Prioreschi, Director of Acquisitions for GBX Group, which bought the property.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — An iconic piece of Myrtle Beach’s past is roaring back to life in a very modern way. The 62-year-old Waikiki Village Motel along South Ocean Boulevard has been fully renovated into workforce housing. The project — called Edge Apartments — looked to keep the building’s historic look while keeping up with current demand and new improvements happening around the city. Jeff Proreschi, acquisitions director for GBX Group and part of the renovation team, said if not for the work, the landmark may have been lost forever.

A company focused on historic preservation has purchased the Old City Performing Arts Center building at 111 State St., according to a news release. A fund managed by GBX Fund Management Ltd. acquired the building at the end of 2024, and the business has been at work ensuring the historic property endures as the Old City landscape evolves.

A former church building located in SoBro and previously eyed for a Bob Dylan-centric project is now being considered for reinvention as an events space to be called ELM.

A landmark Gilded Age mansion impeccably preserved and reimagined as a boutique hotel

There’s a new cowboy in Denver: Urban Cowboy, a 16-room boutique hotel in Capitol Hill’s historic George Schleier Mansion, officially opens its doors on Oct. 19. The Brooklyn-based brand already launched its restaurant and bar, Urban Cowboy Public House, on Sept. 13.

Intimate settings, welcoming hosts, comfortable accommodations and cozy touches like fireplaces and evening happy hours are just a few things that set bed-and-breakfasts apart.

A brand called Urban Cowboy opening in Denver? Finally! It’s been a long time coming for founders Lyon Porter and Jersey Banks, who have created beautiful properties in Brooklyn, the Catskills, and Nashville, but there’s something extra special about this one, their first location in the West.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Historic Nashville Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to preserving history, has teamed up with Ohio-based real estate firm GBX Group to preserve Nashville's historic buildings.

Our development group continues to remain active with the planned restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings and infill construction on South Rampart, and the revitalization of the neighborhood.

While tourists walk toward Patton Avenue from the series of hotels, they may also notice a series of historical churches, homes and industrial buildings amid the flurry of new development. They are there intentionally — and the owners intend for them to stay there.

Late 2023 will witness the grand unveiling of Urban Cowboy Denver. This luxurious boutique hotel and lifestyle brand, renowned in the East, is set to make its mark in the West.

Historic Denver has announced the recipients of its 2023 annual awards given to projects and people preserving key buildings in Denver. Preservation award recipients include buildings that are not only historic, but also provide affordable housing, showcase adaptive reuse and/or have a presence that is distinctively Denver.

Joint Venture partners Essex Development and GBX Group are embarking on what could be one of the most unique opportunities in an emerging market in the Southeast this year. Situated in historic Rutledge Hill, the new mixed-use development proposes 3 skyline-defining landmark towers and the preservation of the surrounding Victorian-era historic homes.

Restoration work has officially been completed on the W.B. Smith Whaley House at 1527 Gervais St. in Columbia. The structure, initially built in 1892 and 1893, had several uses in its more than a century of existence, including a decades-long stretch as Dunbar Funeral Home.

Cleveland-based GBX Group, which specializes in preserving storied buildings in urban settings, reached out to Messina to share its vision for a modern restaurant that honored Tom’s Diner’s rich past. “I saw an opportunity, and it felt like something I wanted to stick around for,” says Messina, who received a Small Business Administration loan and financing from a local bank to fund the project, with GBX leading the preservation. Tom’s Starlight was born this past September.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The historic Flat Iron building, one of the oldest office buildings in Grand Rapids, has been sold for $9.75 million to a Cleveland-based firm that specializes in preserving and operating historic real estate in urban markets.

The Columbus Municipal Light Plant, vacant for years until it was restored for office and auction space, is the 2022 winner of Columbus Landmarks' James B. Recchie Design Award. The plant, located at 577 W. Nationwide Blvd. near Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew, was built in 1903 and operated until the city closed it in 1977.

On Wednesday, the Tom’s Starlight signage popped against the autumn sky above the Capitol Hill neighborhood as customers settled in for conversations and cocktails, seated on the orange bar stools inside and at patio tables.

DENVER — Another iconic restaurant in the Denver metro is announcing plans to reopen. Tom’s Diner closed in March 2020 when the pandemic hit. But even before that, the owner was looking to sell and retire.

There are signs of life at Tom’s Diner on Colfax for the first time in over two years. The plywood boards that covered the restaurant’s windows have come down, and a giant “Now Hiring” sign fills the front window.

Urban Cowboy, a cowboy-inspired boutique hotel chain, is set to open an eighteen-room outpost at the George Schleier Mansion, at 1665 Grant Street in 2023. The Queen Anne-style building was built by architect Fred Edbrooke for George C. Schleier, a hat tycoon and politician, in the 1880s.

For two years, the fate of the former K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen has been an open question, after the famous and highly influential New Orleans restaurant closed amid pandemic woes and its building remained idle. Now, though, it has a new owner with a plan to transform it into a hub for breakfast, brunch and lunch in the middle of the French Quarter.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A group of developers hope to bring new life to an old funeral home at the corner of Gervais and Pickens streets in downtown Columbia. Commonly remembered as the old Dunbar Funeral Home, the original WB Smith Whaley House, one of the oldest properties in Columbia, is being re-developed.

GBX Group LLC and partners announce the beginning of construction to rehabilitate the longstanding Winnwood Apartments, a multi-family property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Companies affiliated with a Cleveland-based developer have bought four buildings on the east bank of The Flats – three of which are on the waterfront of the Cuyahoga River – though the developer is remaining mum on its plans for the space.

Welcome to downtown Winston-Salem Nationwide Marketing Group, which recently relocated from Stratford Road in Winston-Salem. They occupy the entire building at 609 N. Liberty (the building on the left - northernmost) and the 2nd floor of the corner building, 601 N. Liberty Street.

Frequented by Louis Armstrong as a boy, the Karnofsky building was one of New Orleans’ most significant jazz landmarks. It was also a key component of GBX’s long-gestating plan to redevelop the 400 block of South Rampart Street and celebrate its history as an early hotbed of jazz.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A historical slice of Myrtle Beach's hospitality heyday is shining again following the New Year's Eve reopening of the Holiday Shores drive-in motel at 7501 Ocean Blvd

CLEVELAND, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Historic preservation real estate firm GBX Group LLC, in partnership with Ethos Capital Partners, LLC, project partners, and city officials, today announced the reimagined 2125 Superior Avenue, now known as 2125 Superior Living. This modernized residential and retail property, in the heart of Downtown Cleveland's burgeoning Superior Arts District, is GBX's latest investment in the adaptive reuse of historically significant buildings across the country.

DENVER — Developers have unveiled their plans to revitalize Tom's Diner and one of the key pieces of the renovation is that the original building on East Colfax and Pearl Street stays.

Owner Tom Messina and partner GBX Group recently submitted a zoning permit to the city of Denver to build off the original 1967 design. The renderings show a plan to turn the back parking lot into an outdoor patio, offering open space and private cabanas.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbus-based Connect Real Estate and historic preservation real estate firm GBX Group LLC today announced the opening of Microliving @ Long and Front. This re-envisioned 37-unit residential property includes 6,400 square feet of street-level retail located in a prominent downtown location. The adaptive reuse was designed for affordable living, easy access to popular amenities, and high visibility along Long Street.

DENVER, Nov. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The much-anticipated Tom's Diner redevelopment is beginning to take shape. The Denver staple, situated on 601 E Colfax Avenue, will receive a revamp while retaining the building and the appeal of its original architecture.

DENVER – Tom's Diner in Denver won't be demolished and will receive a historic designation after all, according to a development group that partnered with the diner's owner.
GBX Group – a Cleveland, Ohio-based firm that works to preserve and develop historic buildings – announced on Saturday that Tom's Diner will be "reinvented" and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

CLEVELAND, Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GBX Group LLC, a leading real estate firm specializing in preserving historic real estate in urban markets, announces Seth Unger as its Vice President of Government & Public Affairs.

CLEVELAND, June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A funky little 49-room motel at 1500 South Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach was an award recipient presented by The Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation of Horry County.

COLUMBIA, SC Your bedroom window could be a window to the heart of downtown, with vistas stretching for blocks or even miles, capturing steeples and rooftops and all the energy of a growing city, a famously hot sun shining on the floors of your apartment. This 1940s office building turned modern, urban apartment complex could add hundreds of new residents to Columbia’s city center.

Designs of Distinction: AIA Cleveland Recognizes top projects with annual awards celebration

HISTORIC DENVER kicked off 2019 with the announcement of a new preservation easement! We have accepted a protective easement from an investment fund managed by GBX Group LLC for the Schleier Mansion at 1665 Grant St.

When Superior Arts District redeveloper GBX Group approached Tragic Hero Music Group's Randy Chase in late 2015 about moving Crushtone Studios and two co-located music producers across the street and down a block from their fifth-floor home in the Empire Improvement — a.k.a. "Daffy Dan" — building, he was admittedly nervous.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Familiar names dominated the 2018 Design Awards of the Cleveland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the leading national organization for the profession.

When it comes to arts and culture in Euclid, all signs point to Shore Cultural Centre. Located in the heart of the city, the 141,000-square-foot building plays home to many art-based studios, faith-based organizations, and health and wellness businesses—along with the Euclid Symphony Orchestra, Euclid Hunger Center, and Euclid Culinary Bistro (operated by Euclid High School students).

CLEVELAND, Aug. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lynne Winings, President of Strategic Operations & Chief Financial Officer at GBX Group LLC, has been named President of the company.

GBX Group LLC, a Cleveland-based real estate investment company that specializes in historic properties, has named Lynne Winings as president.

Founded 16 years ago, GBX Group is a Northeast Ohio-based company that specializes in acquiring
historic real estate in urban markets. So when the company began looking for new headquarters
to accommodate it's growing staff, it made perfect sense to seek out a historic building in downtown
Cleveland, says Drew Sparacia, CEO.

In March, GBX moved its headquarters from the historic Edwin Hotel at 1303 Prospect Ave. East to the Empire Improvement Building (known to many as the Daffy Dan’s building) at 2101 Superior Ave.

With the dramatic renovation of one of the handful of buildings along Superior Avenue now in its portfolio, and even a new name, GBX Group is poised to be a major player in the redevelopment of what is called the Superior Arts District.