Prescott City Council rejects plans for Prescott Plaza Hotel on historic Whiskey Row
PRESCOTT — The iconic Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott will remain as is, at least for now, after Prescott City Council unanimously rejected plans for the controversial Prescott Plaza Hotel.
The vote was the result of an appeal by the property's developer after the project was voted down by the city's Preservation Commission last August.
Much of the discussion came down to the project's size and scale compared to surrounding structures along Whiskey Row. Primarily, the proposed plans do not meet the height requirements outlined in Prescott's Historic Preservation Master Plan.
"I think that would just stick out like a sore thumb on Whiskey Row and be a blight in the downtown district," said council member Eric Moore.
A few council members initially expressed a willingness to allow developer James Griset to go back to the drawing board and get the project to better comply with the preservation criteria.
Mayor pro tem Connie Cantelme, who lives downtown, said she was not opposed to a new business on the property that could provide an economic "shot in the arm" for surrounding businesses, as long as they "get the size right."
But when asked if he intended to make any further adjustments, Griset said: "No. We've spent a tremendous amount of time and resources and capital coming up with a design that works."
If the project were to be approved without these changes, Mayor Phil Goode said it could set a troubling precedent for other developers coming with projects that do not meet specified criteria set forth by the city.
The proposed development would have replaced three existing storefronts located in the middle of Montezuma Street — the Mountain Spirit Gallery, the Harley Davidson store and the gift shop Wild at Heart — with a five-story, 55-room boutique hotel. The hotel would have also featured a wine bar on the third floor rooftop terrace.
Economic consultant Jim Rounds spoke in support of Griset and the economic benefits of the project for both the downtown area and the city as a whole. He estimates that the hotel would support 65 jobs and produce $9.1 million in economic activity throughout the city. Rounds challenged the council's willingness to consider the potential impact.
"If you do nothing new, you end up deteriorating," Rounds told the council.
Many council members forcefully pushed back on Rounds' claim they're not a "council willing to look at economic impact."
"I'm committed to being a part of economic development and growth in this community and I think everyone up here is," said council member Brandon Montoya. "But I think we also don't want to lose our culture, our identity and our community in the process."
That sentiment was shared by many residents who remained in the audience as the meeting stretched into the evening, many of whom spoke in opposition to the project during public comment.
Autumn Kline owns the Prescott Trading Company, which is directly next to the proposed hotel site. She expressed fears about the effects of demolition and construction on her building, which she said is propped up by brick and mortar walls that are more than 120 years old.
Additionally, if the hotel were approved, Kline said she expects downtown businesses to lose significant revenue during the lengthy and disruptive construction process, much like they did in 2012 when repair work was needed following a damaging fire.
"I think it's important to preserve the downtown for future generations, preserve our history," Kline said.
"Allowing this project to move forward would tear down a part of Whiskey Row and everything we have worked really hard to build."
Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Prescott City Council rejects controversial Whiskey Row hotel
