The developers of a proposed resort and residential living area in Uptown have officially withdrawn their interest in moving forward with the project.
The Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission heard in June for the second time a proposal from LodgeWorks, which at the time was in escrow to purchase 19.45 acres of land down Art Barn Road off State Route 89A in Uptown. However, last week it was announced that the developer had decided against the project.
“We have withdrawn our current plans,” LodgeWorks President Mike Daood wrote in an email to the Sedona Red Rock News. “To be successful, the site must address local needs and also be economically viable. If we’re fortunate enough to again explore a development opportunity in Sedona, we’d jump at the chance. We have met so many stakeholders over the past 18 months, all welcoming and passionate about Sedona. It’s clear why it’s such a special place.”
LodgeWorks was seeking review of a Conceptual Zone Change and Conceptual Development Review with the expressed intent of developing a mixed-use project, with 188 lodging units and 22 multi-family housing units.
The developers said the resort itself would sit on 6 acres, with the rest of the property being untouched. This is due to the fact that the remaining 13 acres sit primarily in the floodplain.
The property itself is within the creekside resort portion of the Uptown Community Focus Area, which includes the defunct Hawkeye RV park. Over the last three decades, at least three projects have gone through the city’s vetting process, and while they all received approval, none of them came to fruition. The most recent zoning approval was granted in 2006, allowing for 158 condominiums.
LodgeWorks had planned to team with the Archer Hotel chain to build and run the resort. Archer currently owns seven other hotels.
As with most projects in the area, there was a large amount of feedback from residents expressing concerns about the project, starting with the density of the proposal. They also expressed concerns about the impact it may have on Oak Creek, the time it will take to construct, noise, fire hazards and light pollution. They also expressed concern for the height of some of the buildings.
“Sedona is a really special place,” Daood said to the Planning and Zoning Commission in January. “People want to be in special places if they can have an experience that speaks to that special place. You talk in your CFA process about sense of place. We love adding to a sense of place with an Archer interpretation of sense of place.”
