City Council Reviews Tempe Market Station Hotel

By Tasha Anderson for AZBEX

Tempe City Council held the first public hearing on September 26th for a new hotel planned for the SWC of Rio Salado Parkway and Smith Road.

The hotel, dubbed Tempe Station Even Hotel, will carry the Even Hotels brand and is planned as a four-story, 150-room development consisting of a total of 78.2KSF. It is the largest portion of the six-lot Tempe Market Station mixed-use development and will be located on Lot 2.

The site plan submitted to the city by Berry Riddell, LLC, on behalf of SJJ Development, also shows a request for approval of Lots 4 and 6 which include a 4.5KSF retail building and 13KSF retail/restaurant building to be developed along with the hotel. A Development Plan Review for those two lots was heard and approved at Tempe’s Development Review commission meeting on September 10th.

The other three lots in the mixed-use development include a 4.1KSF coffee shop/restaurant, a 3.4KSF fast food restaurant and a 5.5KSF restaurant.

The hotel will be the tallest of the buildings at 54 feet tall with the others standing below 30 feet. “The primary building material is a stone-gray exterior finish insulated stucco system, accented by a cream praline color of the same product with reveals creating seams within the surface,” according to the applicant’s submittal.

“The hotel is oriented to face Rio Salado Parkway, with a drop off area sheltered by an angled sculptural perforated metal canopy.” The south side of the hotel will house an 8.1KSF screened community amenity area with a pool and hot tub.

Before the Hotel

According to the applicant’s submittal, the hotel was added to the plan as a result of changing market conditions.

In September 2016, the site was originally approved by City Council with a Planned Area Development Overlay and proposed eight lots and inclusion of a convenience store and gas station.

Three site plan reviews were held between early January and late June 2019 which included reducing the number of lots down to six, removing the convenience store and gas station and adding the hotel. Several modifications were requested by staff including sidewalk connections, reductions to drive-thru restaurant aisles and modifications to the landscaping.

The developer implemented all requested changes and resubmitted to the city in late August 2019 and was given approval to move forward.

On September 10th, the Development Review Commission unanimously approved the amended PAD as well as a use permit for the hotel.

The Tempe City Council heard the Development Plan Review request for the hotel portion on September 26th and the project will go back to City Council once more on October 17th.

According to the City of Tempe’s Development Projects webpage, the Tempe Market Station Hotel is still in review for planning and entitlements and the commercial/retail/restaurant portion has been entitled.