5-story Hotel Proposed for Tempe’s 2100 Rio Salado

By Tasha Anderson for AZBEX
Hotel developer, Tharaldson Hospitality Development recently submitted plans to the City of Tempe for a new hotel to be located on 2.8 acres at 93 S. Rockford Drive, part of the Heavy Industrial District and the 2100 Rio Salado mixed-use development.
Tharaldson has requested a use permit to allow a hotel in that district, a development plan review that includes a site plan, landscape plan and building elevations and an amended Planned Area Development to modify the site plan from retail and restaurant to hotel use. The project was heard at Tempe’s Development Review Commission meeting on January 14th.
The hotel will be a Staybridge Suites and is part of the 2100 Rio Salado mixed-use development, a 24-acre project consisting of hotels, several commercial buildings with retail, restaurant and bar uses, offices and more. The hotel will be located on Lot 3 of the development.
The Staybridge Suites is proposed as a five-story, 109-unit hotel totaling approximately 82.2KSF.
The building will be oriented with the long façade fronting Rockford Drive and have a maximum height of 78 feet. It will be a contemporary design with a light gray concrete block veneer on the ground level, EIFS in taupe and gray and stucco architectural wrap elements.
“The main entry has a small round-about with a port cochere, 112 parking spaces wrap around from north of the entrance, to the north end and to the east side of the site, terminating on the south end,” according to the narrative. “Pedestrian paths connect amenities such as the pool and seating on the south end and the barbeque ramada and fire pit lounge on the east side of the building.”
On the south side, a large landscaped area will be included as a screen for vehicles and will consist of plants that are similar to those from adjacent developments. The landscape design on the Rio Salado frontage and Rockford Drive areas will remain with what they currently have.
The project is expected to be heard at Tempe’s February 13th City Council meeting and again to be voted on at the February 27th meeting.