Peoria entertainment/hotel plan closer to reality

If Peoria city officials have anything to say about it, Glendale won't be the only West Valley city with a thriving entertainment district.
In fact, Peoria aims to create a vibrant entertainment district and boutique hotel unlike any in the West Valley by the time Super Bowl XLIX hits Glendale in three years.

The city has been working with developers for more than a year to expand 83rd Avenue's restaurant row, which includes the city's spring-training ballpark and a dinner theater. The city recently informally christened the area P83 and seeks to build buzz.

Peoria developer Mike Oliver envisions an eight-story hotel with a rooftop lounge, boutique shops, trendy restaurants and upscale apartments on what now is ballpark parking lots.

Oliver's plan to start construction last summer vaporized after losing an investment partner. Now, he has teamed with Scottsdale-based Chandler Hotel Group. They formed Peoria Sports Park LLC and hope to break ground by April.

Before that, developers and Peoria officials must hammer out a deal for the project on 17 acres of city-owned land.

To jump-start the $130 million project, the city would lease land to the developers and pay for a roughly $30 million parking garage to make up for the lost stadium parking. Details must be worked out as part of the talks.

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