Prescott Preservation Commission recommends denial of revised Prescott Plaza Hotel design

The City of Prescott Preservation Commission voted 3–1 on July 22, 2025 to recommend that the City Council deny a revised design for the Prescott Plaza Hotel (file HP 25-004) on Whiskey Row.

Commissioners said the project’s four-story massing and projected balconies raised questions about whether the design meets local preservation guidelines that emphasize a 1–3 story historic scale for the courthouse plaza district. Kaylee Nunez, the city’s historic preservation specialist, told the commission that “the materials and details meet criteria. Windows and doors largely meet criteria,” but that the design raises issues for the commission to weigh against the district guidance.

The recommendation follows a presentation by Doug Stroh, the project architect, and more than two hours of public comment in which speakers were sharply divided. Stroh defended the revised design as smaller and simpler than earlier versions, saying the building “fits in, but it…