Costa Mesa’s Avenue of the Arts hotel pitches high-rise expansion
A 15-story expansion of the Avenue of the Arts hotel in Costa Mesa may supplant a previously approved condominium project on the hotel property, according to plans submitted to the city.
The hotel, at 3350 Avenue of the Arts in the South Coast Metro area, is proposing to build a 150-room tower to augment its current 238 rooms, which occupy a six-story building.
A three-story parking garage on the site would be torn down and replaced with a six-level structure, said Minoo Ashabi, principal planner with the city of Costa Mesa.
“The proposed development will be a great addition to north Costa Mesa and provide for luxury accommodation in proximity to the performing arts and shopping centers,” according to project documents submitted to the city.
In 2007, the city approved a mixed residential and hotel project on the site that would entail construction of a 23-story, 120-unit residential tower and new retail and other commercial space. The existing hotel building would remain.
That project was revised last year to reduce the number of proposed condominiums to 100 and remove the business space.
Paul Sanford, general manager of the Avenue of the Arts, said hotel officials now believe a larger hotel would be a better use of the property than adding housing.
“We’re pretty confident that not only is it the right move for the property, but really the right move for Costa Mesa,” Sanford said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Council members voted 3-0 to include the expanded hotel project in the city’s updated general plan, which is expected to go to the council for review next month. Council members Katrina Foley and Sandy Genis were absent.
A master plan for the hotel project still needs to be reviewed and approved by the city Planning Commission. That could happen “toward the end of the year,” Ashabi said Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration needs to certify that the proposed tower wouldn’t pose a hazard to air travel, Ashabi added.
