Tucson hasn’t seen a new hotel in 30 years, but that is quickly changing as two more hotels are announced, totaling three hotels that are in the works.
Marriott announced plans to develop a Moxy Hotel, its hip Millennial-minded hotel concept, just one block away from its AC Marriott hotel that is being built at Broadway and Fifth Avenues. The Moxy Hotel will be located above the Depot Garage, west of Hotel Congress.
Scott Stiteler is the developer behind the two Marriott hotels.
Scottsdale-based Caliber Hospitality also has plans in the works for a 125-bed hotel in the east parking lot of the recently remodeled Tucson Convention Center. Caliber has plans for a new parking garage to serve its hotel and the downtown area.
The Rio Nuevo Board, a local group that invests state tax dollars in public and public/private projects to create a vibrant Tucson core, created an agreement to allow the hotel developers to move forward on the projects quicker.
On Tuesday, Rio Nuevo approved term sheets to provide both hotel developers with rebated portions of the state sales tax Rio Nuevo receives. There will need to be more coordination with the City of Tucson before the hotels are finalized.
“Bridging the financial gap for both hotels makes the plans work and can bring these exciting new facilities to our growing downtown,” said Rio Nuevo Chairman Fletcher McCusker.
