An 86-room hotel is proposed for Camino del Rio between Ninth and 11th streets, next to Natural Grocers.
The hotel could replace the building at 1111 Camino del Rio that is home to The Rock Lounge, an indoor climbing gym; Animas Herbal, a medical and recreational marijuana shop; and other tenants.
The real estate investment firm building the hotel has not named the hotel chain, said Director of Community Development Kevin Hall.
The Design Review Board will consider the plans for the hotel Wednesday, and the building’s design could change after that, he said.
Then the Board of Adjustment will consider a request for a height variance, and the Durango Planning Commission must also approve the project.
The maximum height for buildings along the Animas River is 35 feet. Most of the proposed building is between 38 and 44 feet, but the northwest corner could be 53-feet, 6-inches tall, according to city documents.
The hotel is planned to be three stories tall, with an underground parking garage.
To accommodate traffic at the hotel, a center median might be needed to prevent drivers from turning left from the hotel onto Camino del Rio. The median would also provide a protected space for those turning left into the hotel, according to city documents.
But the developer must do a traffic study to determine what would be needed to accommodate traffic.
If the hotel is built, the developer also would have to include an Animas River Trail extension from Iris Park Bridge to the hotel.
The developer also would be required to build a sidewalk and plant street trees along Camino del Rio and build a sidewalk from Camino del Rio to the Animas River Trail.
The city would help ensure a property easement is in place behind Natural Grocers for trail construction, according to city documents.
John Bregar, the owner of 1111 Camino del Rio, expects to sell the property if hotel plans are approved, he said.
His tenants are aware of the possible development, and they have the option to move without giving the notice normally required, he said.
“I am trying to give them as much flexibility as possible,” he said.
The developer would be required to give the tenants at least two months notice to relocate, he said.
Several new hotels have been built in Durango in recent years, bringing the total number of rooms to about 2,000, said Bob Kunkel, director of the Durango Area Tourism Association.
The latest proposal is close to downtown and might meet the needs of a different kind of traveler than other recent hotels, such as the Holiday Inn on U.S. Highway 160 west, he said.
Durango ranks well for hotel occupancy and average room rates compared with cities across the state, which makes it appealing to developers, he said.
The Design Review Board meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
This story has been updated to correct the day of the meeting.
