The Westin hotel chain is planning to build in Greenwood Village, bringing what developers say will be the first 5-star option in the south metro area.
“It will be the only 5 -star hotel in the I-25 corridor, and we’ve heard from business owners they would like to have that amenity to close,” said city manager Jim Sanderson. “So there’s a market and a need in the Village.”
The hotel at 8880 E. Caley Ave. will feature 203 guest rooms, a 1.2-acre public event space, a swimming pool, fitness center, 10,000-square-foot banquet room, board rooms, smaller meeting rooms and a terrace garden. The site is close to light rail at Arapahoe Road and I-25.
The developer hopes to begin construction in spring 2015 and open the hotel in summer 2016, according to Arrival Partners’ principal Doug Nysse. The city’s planning and zoning commission unanimously approved the application Oct. 21, and city council will hear the application Nov. 17.
A business improvement district created in July laid the ground work for the new hotel. Nysse said it was necessary to make the project affordable because of the improvements necessary at the site.
“The district will allow us to issue bonds. We’ll be using revenue from parking and guest room revenue to pay the bonds off, and also some of the public improvements, including the outdoor public gathering space that we have,” Nysse said.
Mayor Ron Racowsky defended the use of the improvement district.
“Any new hotel or any new business these days requires complex financing,” he said, “and this is a vehicle to assist in that financing.”
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2953, cwoullard@denverpost.com or
