By BEX Staff for AZBEX
The Town of Gilbert has recently issued a Request for Qualifications for a qualified developer to build a “hotel, resort, complimentary retail, conference center space and/or combination thereof,” on approximately 10 acres at Gilbert Regional Park.
The town intends to enter into a minimum 30-year ground lease (with up to two, 10-year options) for the land located south of Queen Creek Road and West of Higley Road, and have the developer finance and develop the approved project, as well as fund maintenance and operational costs during the lease.
According to the RFQ, the desired project, “must meet the needs of a high growth community focused on attracting varying audiences including youth and amateur sports, friends visiting family, business travel and conferences.” It goes on to state, “Gilbert is also interested in diversifying its supply and demand through a product type that enhances tourism and economic development in Gilbert, the southeast valley, and the Phoenix metropolitan region.”
According to a Community Impact article dated July 25th, Gilbert’s Director of Parks and Recreation, Robert Carmona said, “It’s just an exploratory request to see what type of interest there might be. We don’t necessarily have it narrowed down in scope; we are just looking to see what the private sector developers would like to do on that site.”
The request will go through a two-step process. Statements of Qualifications will be due by September 4th at 2:00 p.m. The town will then select a group of qualified respondents and issue a Request for Proposals only to that group around the week of September 23rd. The RFPs will be due on November 4th. Recommendations for approval of lease agreement are expected to go to council in May 2020.
Other areas of Gilbert Regional Park are continuing to move along. Phase one of the 272-acre park is expected to complete construction in September. In February, Gilbert Town Council approved a public-private partnership with The Strand @ Gilbert, LLC for the development of a waterpark on 25 acres at Gilbert Regional Park. In an email to the BEX research team in February, The Strand @ Gilbert, LLC said that construction is expected to start in 90-120 days and the park is anticipated to be open in the summer 2020.
