Restaurateur Fox gets go-ahead for hotel project
The Phoenix City Council gives final approval for a highly anticipated hotel concept by Sam Fox at 44th Street and Camelback Road.
The Phoenix City Council gave final approval for a massive project at 44th Street and Camelback Road, which will house the Phoenix Suns and Mercury practice facility and a highly anticipated hotel concept by restaurateur Sam Fox.
The $300 million development at the northwest corner of the prominent Arcadia intersection will also include three office buildings, a parking garage and a self-storage facility.
The project was initially opposed by nearby neighbors who scoffed at the 75-foot height planned for the hotel and one of the office buildings.
But hours before the council’s Wednesday vote, a compromise was reached: The developer agreed to decrease the height to a maximum of 59 feet and the neighborhood groups agreed to support the project.
The council approved the required zoning changes unanimously and applauded both sides for reaching a compromise.
Resident Julia Patrick told the council she is the closest homeowner to the planned development, and she is in “profound support for it.” She said her father was the original developer of the lot.
“Now is the time for change, exciting services and products like Arizonabased foods and boutiques,” she said. “We see this as another crown jewel to add to the city of Phoenix.”
Hotel, office and restaurants
RED Development — the company responsible for CityScape in downtown Phoenix and a number of other prominent developments across the United States — is the lead developer of the project.
The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury broke ground on the 50,000square-foot practice facility earlier this month.
Mike Ebert, managing partner of RED Development, said the construction timeline for the other six structures on the 18-acre site will be determined early next year.
The ground floors of the office buildings will include high-end retail and restaurants, according to RED Development.
Fox hotel details
Fox’s boutique hotel is slated to include 100 rooms, a rooftop lounge and other amenities.
Fox is the founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts, which he recently sold to The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated in a deal that included $308 million in cash.
Fox Restaurant Concepts’ portfolio includes local favorites like The Henry, Culinary Dropout and Flower Child.
In an interview with The Arizona Republic in October, Fox said he’d been hoping to get into the hotel business for more than six years.
“It will be really neat. There will obviously be a strong food and beverage component because that’s what we are good at. So that’s obviously an evolution for myself, for some personal growth,” he said.
Fox told the council Wednesday he’d been recruited to develop hotels in other cities, but he held out for Phoenix because it’s his home.
“My biggest takeaway from the journey is how passionate people are about the city of Phoenix and the communities they live in,” he said. “That’s what makes Phoenix such a great place to live and why I’m excited to build a world-class boutique hotel.”