2777 Zuni Street in LoHi is becoming a five-story apartment community of about 420 homes by Kairoi Residential, replacing a 1982 Residence Inn. The developer announced the groundbreaking on August 3, 2026 and has not published a completion date.
If you have driven Speer Boulevard near Zuni Street this year, you have watched a familiar corner disappear. The low-rise extended-stay hotel that sat on the north side of Speer for more than four decades is gone, and the site is now an active construction project. It is one of the larger residential builds in Lower Highland right now, and it sits at one of the main entry points into the neighborhood from downtown.
We get asked about it often, from owners nearby who want to know what is going up next door, and from buyers weighing a home or condo within a few blocks. The short answer is apartments. The longer answer covers how many, how tall, what replaced what, and what it could mean for the blocks around it.
Jason Sirois, a Denver Realtor with FORM at Compass whose office is at 1900 W 32nd Ave in Northwest Denver, less than a mile from this site, pulled together what has been reported and what is still unknown.
What is being built at 2777 Zuni Street?
A rental apartment community from Kairoi Residential, a San Antonio developer. In its August 3, 2026 groundbreaking announcement, Kairoi described 420 apartment homes ranging from studios to three bedrooms, built with PGIM Real Estate as equity partner and Helaba Bank as lender.
Earlier reporting used slightly different numbers. BusinessDen reported a 429-unit plan, and a March 2026 report in Naked Denver cited about 434 units. Unit counts often move as a design works through city review, so the 420 figure in the most recent announcement is the best current number.
Naked Denver’s review of the plans described a building of five stories and nearly 70 feet, about 620,000 square feet in total, designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates.
What was there before?
The site was the Residence Inn Denver Downtown, an extended-stay hotel built in 1982 as 21 small buildings spread across roughly four acres. It closed in 2025.
According to BusinessDen, Kairoi bought the property in December 2025 for $39 million from Highgate, a New York hotel company. Kairoi first showed interest in the site in 2024. American Demolition took the hotel down starting in early 2026, and by March the demolition was nearly complete.
Replacing 21 small buildings with one consolidated five-story building changes the scale of that corner. Once the structure rises, the site will read as a single, larger building face along Speer and Zuni rather than a cluster of low roofs.
What will the building include?
The developer’s announcement lists the amenities it plans:
- An elevated pool deck with views toward downtown
- Wellness spaces and a 24-hour fitness center
- Work-from-home spaces
- Golf and ski simulators
- Several sky lounges and outdoor gathering areas
On parking, Naked Denver reported a garage of about 170,000 square feet with roughly 532 vehicle spaces and 233 bicycle spaces. Those figures came from plans filed with the city and could change in final design. Kairoi describes the project as ultra-luxury. Rents have not been announced.
Who is Kairoi Residential?
Kairoi is a San Antonio-based apartment developer that has been active in the Denver area for several years. BusinessDen counted six earlier Kairoi projects locally, spread from Westminster to RiNo, before the LoHi purchase. The most visible recent one is The Vixen, a 334-unit building at 1150 E Colfax Avenue that opened in 2024, according to Naked Denver.
In the groundbreaking announcement, Kairoi principal Tyler Sibley called the LoHi project the result of nearly a decade of pursuit and planning. That long runway matches the public record: interest in the site was reported in 2024, the purchase closed in late 2025, and construction started in summer 2026. For neighbors, the practical takeaway is that this is an experienced multifamily builder with its equity partner and lender already named in the announcement.
When will it be finished?
Kairoi has not published an opening or completion date. Until the developer or the city’s permit records give one, treat any specific date you hear as a guess.
In the meantime, expect the usual signs of a large construction site at Speer and Zuni: fencing, equipment and truck traffic, and posted lane or sidewalk changes.
What could it mean for LoHi homeowners and buyers?
This is a rental building, so it adds apartment supply rather than homes for sale. It does not change what an owner can do with their own lot. Several things are worth knowing, stated as facts about the area rather than predictions:
First, it is part of a pattern. The Zuni and Speer corridor has seen steady multifamily development, including Skyline at Highlands, a 626-unit project nearby that delivered in 2024, per Naked Denver. Additions like these bring more people within walking distance of LoHi’s restaurants and shops on Tejon, 32nd Avenue and Central Street.
Second, views and light are block-specific. If you are buying a home or condo on the blocks immediately around the site, look at the approved elevations before you write an offer, not after. Your agent can help you read them and request them from the city if they are not posted.
Third, new rental supply competes most directly with other rentals, including condos and townhomes that owners lease out. If you own an investment unit in LoHi, watch how lease-up at the new building affects concessions nearby.
For more on the neighborhood itself, see our Highlands community page and our guide to living in Highlands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is building at 2777 Zuni Street in Denver?
Kairoi Residential, a San Antonio developer, with PGIM Real Estate as equity partner and Helaba Bank as lender, per Kairoi’s August 3, 2026 announcement.
How many apartments are going in at Speer and Zuni?
Kairoi’s August 2026 announcement says 420 apartment homes, from studios to three bedrooms. Earlier reports cited 429 to 434 units as the design moved through review.
How tall will the 2777 Zuni Street building be?
Five stories and nearly 70 feet, according to plans reported by Naked Denver in March 2026.
What happened to the Residence Inn on Speer and Zuni?
The 1982 hotel closed in 2025. Kairoi bought the site for $39 million in December 2025, and demolition of its 21 buildings ran through early 2026.
When will the 2777 Zuni Street apartments open?
No completion date has been announced. Construction began in August 2026.
Are the new LoHi apartments for sale or for rent?
For rent. It is an apartment community, so it adds rental supply rather than homes or condos for sale.
Has Kairoi built in Denver before?
Yes. BusinessDen counted six earlier Kairoi projects in the area, and Naked Denver notes The Vixen, 334 units at 1150 E Colfax Avenue, opened in 2024.
This post is general information based on public reports and the developer’s announcement as of October 2026. Project details can change through city review and construction. It is not legal, tax or investment advice.
Thinking about buying or selling near Speer and Zuni? Reach out to Jason Sirois and the FORM Team at Compass Denver to talk through the blocks around it.
