Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Hotel-condo project planned for downtown Scottsdale

[Source: Peter Corbett, Arizona Republic] -- A six-story luxury hotel and more than 200 condos, some of them going for more than $1 million, would be built in downtown Scottsdale, according to plans a development group plans to submit to the city Monday. The unnamed project would be built on 10.37 acres southeast of the Arizona Canal and northeast of Camelback and Scottsdale roads along a nearly half-mile stretch of aging apartments on 73rd Street. It would include improvements to the canal bank and two pedestrian bridges, linking the development with the Safari Drive condos under construction northwest of the canal. It also would be linked to Scottsdale Fashion Square to the west, and Scottsdale Waterfront to the southwest.

In addition, 73rd Street would be realigned with Buckboard Trail, allowing a safer crossing at a traffic signal for pedestrians going to and from the W Hotel Scottsdale and nightclubs south of Camelback. "This ties all the quadrants together," said development attorney John Berry, representing Scottsdale Canal Development LLC. The two principals, John Wanninger and Mark Madkour, have development experience in the Minneapolis area. They are seeking a rezoning that would allow a 72-foot-tall hotel and condos of up to 65 feet high. Parking would be underground. Their plan includes 190 condos plus 16 penthouse units of up to 5,200 square feet. They would feature far more outdoor living space than other luxury condos are offering, Wanninger said. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]