Council extends Hotel Del Sol fund pact
City still seeks to turn historic building into transportation hub
Yuma city government still pictures the historic Hotel Del Sol as a future transportation hub. The city is keeping the dream alive until it secures funding to complete the rehabilitation it needs.
Next month the city will submit for city council approval a $12 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Redevelopment (TIGER) grant request from the U.S. Department of Transportation. If successful, the grant would fund the rehabilitation of the almost-century old hotel located across Gila Street, at the corner of 3rd Street.
In the meantime, the city has been holding on to $965,000 in funding that originated from a Federal Transit Authority grant awarded to the Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority in 2014 to finalize designs and cover pre-construction costs associated with the rehabilitation of the Hotel Del Sol for use as a multimodal transportation center.
YCIPTA passed the grant funds to the city and they currently reside in the city’s current Capital Improvement Program budget. However, the intergovernmental agreement between the city and YCIPTA covering the funds expired on Aug. 26. On Wednesday, the council agreed to extend the agreement for one year while several grant opportunities are pursued for the construction phase of the project.
Over the past decade, the city and YCIPTA have been working together to complete an “adaptive reuse” of the historic hotel into the community’s first multimodal transportation center. Thus far, the city has put about $1.2 million into the structure, starting with its purchase in 2005 for $296,000. More than $900,000 in federal and local funding has been ex-
where four of its five major routes in the city converge, but the only amenity for pended on environmental that bus stop is a sign. work, design, acquisition, The hub would also likely minor abatements, securing support Amtrak train the facility and a project and Greyhound bus service implementation and by selling tickets at design plan, according to a the site. staff report. Three different organizations
“Engineering has already have also expressed been done to make interest in building out sure the building is solid,” and occupying the second City Administrator Greg and third floors. Nicholls Wilkinson told the council said Tuesday that different Wednesday. private organizations have
During a Tuesday work approached him about session, Councilor Mike joining such a public/private Shelton said he wants to partnership. Most of see the old building move those inquiries were unsolicited, out of government’s hand Nicholls added. and into the private sector. Eventually, the building However, during Wednesday’s could go into private regular council meeting, hands, but Wilkinson he said he would be voting pointed out because they for the extension of the are using federal transit agreement only because he funds, it would have to be a saw it as a “bridge” for the multimodal transit facility reconstruction of the hotel. for a while.
“I don’t disagree,” According to Yuma Sun Mayor Doug Nicholls said archives, the hotel opened Tuesday, but added that in 1926 across the street until then the “next best from the brand-new railroad thing” would be to enter depot, and it housed into a private-public partnership a Greyhound bus station at to finish building one point. out the facility. The 70-room hotel began
Initial plans call for to decline in the 1970s and YCIPTA, which runs the was damaged by a fire the Yuma County Area Transit following decade, around bus system (YCAT) to the time it was added to the relocate its operations into National Register of Historic the first floor of the hotel. Places. Earlier efforts YCAT already has its to restore it faltered, so it Downtown Yuma Transit had to be stabilized before Center in front of the hotel being added to the register.