By Catherine Reagor | Arizona Republic
A plan to develop a high rise condominium and hotel in the popular Kierland area was voted down by the Phoenix City Council Tuesday.
Scottsdale-based DMB Development proposed a zoning change for a tower to go up on the almost two-acre La Maison furniture store site at Scottsdale Road and East Kierland Boulevard.
One plan called for the building to be 120 feet high, or about 10 to 12 stories — about the same height as the four Optima condo towers nearby and the Westin Kierland Resort a few blocks away. The other plan called for a thinner 196-foot tower.
The plan called for 169 condos and 210 hotel rooms, plus 20,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor.
City staff backed the proposal for the shorter tower. But the council voted 5-3 against the zoning change entirely. Felicita Mendoza, Sal DiCiccio, Jim Waring, Thelda Williams and Michael Nowakowski voted no. Debra Stark, Vania Guevara and Laura Pastor voted yes.
