By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
A requested stipulation change to a 2021 zoning approval could bring a new, four-story, 114-room hotel to the master-planned development area of 29th Avenue & Sonoran Desert Drive in north Phoenix.
AZBEX was the first outlet to report on the 29th & Sonoran Desert Master Plan proposal. (AZBEX; Nov. 9, 2021)
The original rezoning request for the 40-acre site included plans for 360 traditional apartments, 259 for-rent townhomes and 26KSF of commercial space, which included three restaurants with drive-thrus and a fourth use to be named later.
Current documents show the commercial component plan has been updated and now includes a Quik-Trip gas station and convenience store.
According to the DATABEX project database, the townhome component covers slightly more than 18 acres and was confirmed in March 2023 as having started construction. Its status remains listed as under construction.
The apartments are listed as pending procurements/in negotiations. Plans have been updated since the original submission to increase the unit count from 360 to 366.
Phoenix City Council approved the rezoning request in December 2021, removing the site from the North Gateway Planned Community District and rezoning portions for residential and commercial use. However, a stipulation was added to limit maximum building heights to one story/25 feet in the commercial section, even though the granted C-2 Intermediate Commercial zoning allows up to 56 feet as its standard.
On Feb. 18, a Phoenix Planning Hearing Officer review will determine whether that stipulation should remain in place.
Hyatt Studios Hotel Plan
A subsidiary of Caliber Companies is planning to build a four-story, 114-room Hyatt Studios hotel on a 2.28-acre portion of the commercial section. The height restrictive stipulation will have to be removed for that to happen.
Hyatt Studios is a relatively new brand under the Hyatt flag and operates as an upscale extended stay option with studio apartment-style rooms with in-unit kitchens. Caliber announced last year it had entered into a development rights agreement with an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation under which its Caliber Hospitality Development division would have exclusive rights to develop Hyatt Studios hotels in five target markets, including Arizona. A total of 15 hotels is expected to be built under the agreement.
According to the request and materials submitted by Stewart + Reindersma Architecture, the hotel will be wood-framed with an overall height of approximately 48 feet. The project will also include improvements including surface parking, internal circulation and landscaping.
The submission says, “Within the C-2 zoning district, the maximum permitted building height is 56 feet. The proposed hotel height of approximately 48 feet is fully compliant with and well below this maximum height allowance and is consistent with the development intensity anticipated for C-2 zoned properties.” It adds the height stipulation “significantly” restricts the property’s development potential.
The argument is that the height limit is inconsistent with C-2 development standards. The submission goes on to say, “Hotels are an expressly allowed use within the C-2 zoning district and are customarily developed at multiple stories to function efficiently and meet brand and operational requirements.” It later adds, “Retaining the current height stipulation would effectively prevent development of a viable hotel use, despite such use being allowed by right under the C-2 zoning.”
Caliber is the project owner. The design firm is Stewart + Reindersma Architecture.
