Dual-brand hotel proposed for master-planned center in Phoenix comes to focus
Jackson-Shaw and Holualoa Cos. are partnering to develop a Marriott dual brand hotel in north Phoenix.
By Audrey Jensen – Reporter, Phoenix Business Journal
Oct 20, 2023
A team of developers is planning to build a unique dual-branded hotel as part of the overall USAA campus and Norterra master-planned community in north Phoenix.
A team of developers is planning to build a unique dual-branded hotel as part of the overall USAA campus and Norterra master-planned community in north Phoenix.
The site is located adjacent to the Shops at Norterra, which sits less than 15 minutes south of the $40 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant that’s under construction.
TSMC’s presence has brought dozens of suppliers to the area and also spurred new residential and commercial projects.
Project documents show that the four-story building is proposed as Type IA concrete podium with a structural transfer slab at the second level and three levels of Type VB wood, loading bearing wall construction on the top portion.
The two hotels will also have a raised plaza and shared amenity spaces including 8,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center and a resort-style courtyard with a saline pool, heated spa and event lawn.
A preliminary site plan shows the potential layout and amenities planned for a dual brand hotel in north Phoenix.
Dallas-based Jackson-Shaw Co. and Tucson-based Holualoa Cos. plan to develop the hotel on about three acres at the northeast corner of Happy Valley Road and Norterra Parkway, at 25300 N. 22nd Lane.
The companies said in a statement sent to the Business Journal Oct. 19 that they are working closely with the city of Phoenix and Affinius Capital on the hotel. They said they are currently exploring financial options and finalizing design for the project.
“We are planning a best-in-class hospitality experience that will be a key amenity to the growing region,” Aroon Chinai, chief investment officer for Holualoa Cos., said in a statement. “Assuming favorable financing, we plan to commence construction in the first quarter of 2024. Details will be provided as the project progresses.”
Joe Blewitt, senior vice president of hospitality for Jackson-Shaw, said Holualoa Cos. and Jackson-Shaw have a “successful track record of developing high-profile brands” in the Phoenix market such as the Element Hotel at SkySong in Scottsdale and the AC Hotel Phoenix Biltmore at Camelback Collective.
“Both companies know that Phoenix is a popular destination for both leisure and business travelers,” Blewitt said in a statement. “The city’s steady population growth, a thriving economy, and many attractions, including sports events, golf courses, and natural beauty, contribute to a growing hotel market.”
Virginia-based Cooper Carry designed the hotel. Phoenix-based Wood Patel is the civil engineer.
What else is planned in the area
Other amenities have also been planned in the surrounding area in recent months.
Earlier this year, Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres said it plans to open a new movie-themed entertainment concept at the Shops at Norterra in 2024.
Called the Harkins BackLot, the concept will feature a full bar, large screens for viewing sports, a bowling alley, an arcade with large-format video, virtual reality and redemption games, other VR experiences, private event rooms and “dazzling movie-themed audio-visual displays,” according to the company’s announcement.
Also this year, a California homebuilder acquired the final lots at USAA’s Union Park master-planned community. Union Park at Norterra is a 350-acre master-planned community being jointly developed by USAA Real Estate Co. and Sunbelt Holdings Inc.
Originally, USAA had purchased all the land with plans to expand its Phoenix offices, but about eight years ago decided they wouldn’t need all the land after all, and rezoned what it wasn’t using for residential use, the Phoenix Business Journal previously reported.