Carefree Truth
Issue #723, February 11, 2019
Gary Neiss explained that the Easy Street Development was originally two properties, North and South, both owned by Butte Properties. In 2006, The Council passed a zoning amendment that entitled Butte to develop a mixed use project on those parcels. The South parcel is now owned by INCA Capital, and the platting process to develop town homes there has just begun. The North parcel to the east of the 100 Easy Street building, where the Post Office is located, is still owned by Butte. The North parcel was under consideration at the February Council meeting for a Hilton-run Hampton Inn.
Issue #723, February 11, 2019
Gary Neiss explained that the Easy Street Development was originally two properties, North and South, both owned by Butte Properties. In 2006, The Council passed a zoning amendment that entitled Butte to develop a mixed use project on those parcels. The South parcel is now owned by INCA Capital, and the platting process to develop town homes there has just begun. The North parcel to the east of the 100 Easy Street building, where the Post Office is located, is still owned by Butte. The North parcel was under consideration at the February Council meeting for a Hilton-run Hampton Inn.
Offering tremendous views of the surrounding mountain vistas that would provide a refined experience for the guests, the proposed Hampton Inn would be a limited service hotel with 94-97 rooms with a resort-style outdoor pool and spa. The hotel would be 3 stories on the east side. As the grade falls to the west, the lower story would be a daylighted lobby with 3 floors of rooms above. Part of the lower floor would be buried approximately 8' into the hillside.
The lobby would contain the check-in desk, a small food service area suitable for serving a complimentary Continental breakfast, and a small bar with approximately 10 seats. The lower floor would also include a fitness center, restrooms, a couple of meeting rooms, some back house rooms, and some guest rooms.
There would be a large parking lot on the eastern half of the site, with an additional 19 parking spaces on the north side, adjacent to Easy Street. 29 spaces on Easy Street would be available to hotel guests, spaces which are generally available to customers of all the businesses along Easy Street.
The renderings in the slides presented are not final representations of the hotel, but show the types of materials and colors being considered. The final architectural schematics are still a work in progress. The building in the originally approved Butte plan covered the entire 2-1/2 acre lot. The proposed hotel footprint is significantly smaller, with approximately 1/2 of the site under roof.
The lobby would contain the check-in desk, a small food service area suitable for serving a complimentary Continental breakfast, and a small bar with approximately 10 seats. The lower floor would also include a fitness center, restrooms, a couple of meeting rooms, some back house rooms, and some guest rooms.
There would be a large parking lot on the eastern half of the site, with an additional 19 parking spaces on the north side, adjacent to Easy Street. 29 spaces on Easy Street would be available to hotel guests, spaces which are generally available to customers of all the businesses along Easy Street.
The renderings in the slides presented are not final representations of the hotel, but show the types of materials and colors being considered. The final architectural schematics are still a work in progress. The building in the originally approved Butte plan covered the entire 2-1/2 acre lot. The proposed hotel footprint is significantly smaller, with approximately 1/2 of the site under roof.
The specialists with the Urban Land Institute and the Baker Study, as well as the grassroots Downtown Revitalization Plan which involved residents, businesses, and commercial property owners, all recommended placing an anchor business in the Town core on either the Easy Street North or South parcels. The Hampton Inn would create that anchor business in the downtown core that is within easy walking distance to the restaurants, stores, and amenities, complimenting what is already here.
It is projected to provide an annual average of $455,000 in tax revenue for the first 10 years of operation, a direct benefit. It was estimated that an additional $55,000-60,000 would be generated by hotel guests utilizing the downtown restaurants, stores, and services, an indirect benefit. The Hampton Inn would be a catalyst of positive interest for area businesses and commercial property owners.
https://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/316011167/664bda5277
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
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