Plans are once again underway to revive the long-vacant Hotel Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Convention Center.
Dormant since 2012, the downtown hotel at 181 W. Broadway will reopen as a 296-room Arizona Hotel HSL Hyatt, a full-service convention hotel, plans filed with the city of Tucson show.
The existing architecture will remain, and the single-pane glass and aluminum window frames will be replaced with insulated glass and thermal frames, plans show. The roof of the 53-year-old hotel will also be replaced.
A former parking garage to the west of the structure was torn down due to safety concerns.
There will be a driveway on the east side and possibly a housing project, developers say.
A bridge on the east will provide access to the historic Plaza de la Mesilla and gazebo, also known as βLa Placita.β
Interior renovations have already begun with demolition work, and new plans are forthcoming, said Omar Mireles, president of HSL Properties, which owns the hotel.
The late afternoon sun glints off the windows of the currently empty Hotel Arizona, 181 E. Broadway. The hotel, vacant for 14 years, is set to reopen.
He said about $7 million worth of work has already taken place inside the building to demolish some portions and for asbestos abatement.
The Rio Nuevo board has voted to offer HSL Properties 150 parking spaces in the parking garage near the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall for two years after construction is complete. After those 24 months, they will be rented to HSL for $15 per space.
βWe are super excited about the revitalization of Hotel Arizona,β said Edmund Marquez, vice chairman of the Rio Nuevo board. βHSL has done a wonderful job of investing in this space to bring something very special to the gateway of downtown.β
He said hotel rooms adjacent to the TCC will allow the city to attract more events and conventions.
βThe conventions are a huge boost to our economy and our tax base,β Marquez said. βThis is a win-win.β
The 13-story Hotel Arizona was built in 1973.
Looking south, the lot to the west of the current building would become landscape and additional parking. To the east would be a driveway and future housing development.Β
Developers hope to have the hotel open within the next two years, they said during a public presentation to city planners earlier this month.
Previous attempts to reopen Hotel Arizona with financial incentives from the city were unsuccessful. The project also was delayed because of the pandemic and rising interest rates, Mireles said.
Exterior work is expected to begin as early as next month.
βHyatt has been very patient with us,β he said.
The Arizona Auditor General recently issued a report of Rio Nuevo and urged the board to concentrate on bringing more hotel rooms to the downtown area, especially near the Tucson Convention Center.
Dormant since 2012, the downtown hotel at 181 W. Broadway will reopen as a 296-room Arizona Hotel HSL Hyatt, a full-service convention hotel.
βThis is one of theΒ most important characteristics for event planners, as it serves as an indicator of the marketβs ability to have adequate room blocks available within a close proximity to the event facility,β the audit says.
Tucson currently has 993 rooms near TCC.
Local developer Tucson Urban LLC is working on The Moxy, a Marriott brand hotel at 55 N. Fifth Ave, immediately above the Depot Plaza parking garage.
And Oregon developers are working on Tucson Inn & Market, a hotel with restaurants, shops and entertainment at 75 E. Broadway, adjacent to the Old Chicago Store.
The new plans for Arizona Hotel HSL Hyatt are in the early stages, and no financial incentives have been announced for its redevelopment.
