Source: North Scottsdale Independent
A deal has been finalized between Westroc Hospitality, Woodbine Development Corp. and Crown Realty & Development for the creation of a $65 million luxury resort and 18-hole golf course where Mountain Shadows Golf Resort once stood.
The property now under development is at 5517 E. Lincoln Drive in the Town of Paradise Valley.
Crown Realty & Development Senior Vice President of Property Acquisition Rick Carpinelli says the sale of all but 11 acres of property at Mountain Shadows emerged from escrow Feb. 20.
Mr. Carpinelli says the $10.5 million does not include an 11-acre portion of property, which Crown Realty is retaining for future development.
Plans call for construction to begin this August on a full-service boutique resort featuring 180 guest rooms in a two-building complex, an adjacent building containing 31 hotel-condominium units, and a corner neighborhood market to be coined “Lincoln Market.”
The Mountain Shadows Golf Course, an 18-hole course well-suited for today’s golfers, will be rehabilitated as part of the project. Developers intend to retain the Mountain Shadows name when the new resort opens in December 2016.
Scottsdale-based Westroc owns and operates Hotel Valley Ho and Sanctuary on Camelback, while the Dallas-based Woodbine Corp. is responsible for multi-use development at The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, among a host of other properties.
Paradise Valley officials have confirmed plans have been submitted and approved for construction to commence this summer.
“We have presented our plans to the town and they are thrilled, and the mayor described the project as being the ‘heart of Paradise Valley,'” Scott Lyon, Westroc Hospitality CEO, said in a Feb. 24 phone interview.
“A lot of people would consider this the best resort site in Arizona –the resort row of Lincoln Drive. One of the things we are excited about is really having it tied to the community.”
While the total key count will be about half of the once mighty Mountain Shadows Golf Resort, Mr. Lyon contends the resort will stand out in a market known for its luxurious resorts.
“The original Mountain Shadows was the original Arizona pool scene –it had a lot of energy to it,” he recalled. “We are using that idea as a goal. I would tell you that this will be one of the most distinctive modern desert hotels.”
Mr. Lyon says the new Mountain Shadows resort will be a celebration of modern desert architecture.
“We want to create an iconic modern hotel,” he said. “One that will stand the test of time. Everything will be under one roof.”
While the hotel will bring an “urban living room vibe” to the heart of Paradise Valley, Mr. Lyon assures views of the picturesque landscape won’t be obstructed by new structures.
“We will have three wings that run north and south,” he said of the one-, two-and three-story structures coming to the site. “Every hotel room will have views north to Mummy Mountain and south to Camelback Mountain.”
Mr. Lyon says renovation would not have been accomplished without partnership with the Woodbine Development Corp.
“This could not have been pulled off without them,” Mr. Lyon said of the 50-50 partnership between Westroc and Woodbine. “We are just really excited to have this venture with them.”
Shadows on the horizon
“The news is just hitting the streets right now that Mountain Shadows is on the horizon and is now fully in view,” Rod Cullum, owner of Cullum Homes, said in a Feb. 24 phone interview.
“Getting Mountain Shadows back up and running as a localized operation can only help our neighbors and our homeowners.”
Cullum Homes has been the first to break ground –building a community to be known as The Village at Mountain Shadows –at the resort site at 56th Street and Lincoln Drive in the Town of Paradise Valley.
A subsidiary of Scottsdale-based Cullum Homes purchased the 40 residential lots –just over 9,500 square feet with a value of $575,000 per lot –with intentions to ceremonially break ground Monday, Sept. 8.
“For the 14 who have already purchased their lots, they have in fact bought into a neighborhood that is going to feature a firstclass resort,” Mr. Cullum said.
Mr. Cullum says sales continue to surge at the Village at Mountain Shadows.
“We are about half sold out before we have even get a model done,” he said of the local interest in the housing options at Mountain Shadows. “The market for that lock-and-leave luxury location is very alive and doing very well.”
Mr. Carpinelli says he is happy one of the toughest challenges of his professional life has come to an end.
“It has been 11 years,” he said in a Feb. 23 phone interview. “We’ve often dreamed of what would be on this property. All of that was theoretical until now. For the first time I know that this is real (and) that there is something going to be built here.”
Mr. Carpinelli, a Paradise Valley resident, says he is proud to be a part of the effort that brought the Mountain Shadows resort site back to life.
“It is exciting. I am a resident here, and we will get to come down and enjoy the amenities at the hotel,” he said.