The owner of one of Phoenix's largest resorts is looking to replace a golf course with single-family homes and condominiums.
Host Hotels & Resorts is proposing an unspecified number of for-sale homes to replace a nine-hole golf course — one of three — at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, a 735-key, 55-suite hotel. The 72-acre project, dubbed "Copper Residences," involves work on both the north and south ends of the property.
The homes would expand on an existing two-story Kierland Greens Condominium building located near the golf course and add to other high-end condos in the Kierland neighborhood.
Existing condos also include Optima Kierland and The Landmark, where prices currently start just below $700,000 and go up to $3.2 million. More than 50% of all homes in the Kierland neighborhood have an average value between $785,000 and $1.78 million.
As of Nov. 18, Homes.com shows 50 homes or condos that are available for purchase within Kierland.
New plans allow for a more efficient golf course
During Host's third-quarter earnings call, President and CEO James Risoleo said the company is reinvesting in the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa to better position it among competitors in the market.
Jason Morris, a land-use attorney for Withey Morris Baugh PLC and project applicant for Host, told Homes.com that each unit, should they be built, will be for-sale homes. He added that density will be further refined as final end users are determined.
Morris said the 16.6-acre northern portion has a targeted density between 10 to 15 dwelling units per acre. A four-story villa-style development is envisioned, according to project documents.
The 55-acre southern development portion is planned for two- and three-story high-end homes.
The project also calls for amenity areas including resort-style swimming pools, clubhouses and community gathering areas.
The other two golf courses, Ironwood and Acacia, will "continue to operate as a more efficient 18-hole golf course that requires less maintenance, water and management," according to project documents.
Project documents for the Copper Residences were filed with the city of Phoenix in late October. A hearing date has not been set for the project's next milestone.