A major hurdle has been cleared for the construction of a 70-room hotel that will go up at the northeast corner of West San Francisco and Sandoval streets in downtown Santa Fe.
The development plan for the project, which has won the unanimous approval of the Santa Fe City Council, envisions a four-story structure on a nearly 1-acre site.
The block that the site is on is also home to the nearly century-old Lensic Performing Arts Center.
The property in question, which is currently a parking lot, has for several years been looked at by builders and investors for its development potential.
The parking lot was opened after a two-story commercial structure on the site was demolished in 1972 in an urban renewal effort.
In a neighborhood lined with mostly one-story restaurants, clothing stores, and art galleries, it is one of the most familiar blocks in Santa Fe, and one also with a high degree of foot traffic.
An earlier plan to build a combination condominium and retail project on the property never became reality due to the Great Recession.
As currently planned, the hotel will measure around 84,200 square feet and will have a restaurant and bar, retail space, and pedestrian paths around and through the building.
The project will additionally include a two-level underground parking garage.
Work on the property, which is owned by the Santa Fe-based property management company Greer Enterprises, is not expected to actually begin until next spring.
To be designed in the Spanish Baroque architectural style, the project is being developed by Legacy Hospitality & Management of Albuquerque.
By Garry Boulard
