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Developer proposes restoring former hotel at 950 Bob Arnold Blvd; council seeks resident-protection condition
Summary
Applicant asked the council to rezone a 2.26-acre property at 950 Bob Arnold Blvd from OI to GC so a buyer can convert a senior-care building back into an 86-room Suburban Studios hotel; the applicant said 21 residents currently live there and that the buyer will fund relocation and maintain current rents while staff proposed a condition to protect residents during conversion.
Planning staff described Item 26-077 on April 2: an applicant seeks to rezone 950 Bob Arnold Boulevard from OI to GC so the existing building can return to hotel use. Planning and Zoning Administrator Chelsea Tubs said the site previously operated as a hotel, was rezoned and renovated for senior care after an incident, and now the applicant requests a return to commercial use to support an 86-room hotel with 110 parking spaces.
Attorney Joel Larkin represented the applicant and addressed council questions about the building's history and the residents who currently live there. Larkin said occupancy has remained low since the 2020 pandemic-era opening of the senior facility and that 21 residents currently live at the site. He told council a nearby licensed facility has agreed to accept all 21 residents "and this is actually an upgrade because they offer higher level of care" and that "the rents will remain the same"; he added the purchaser or developer will cover moving costs.
Planning Commission had recommended a condition to ensure a seamless transition for residents during any conversion; council members pressed for specifics and staff said they would return with recommended condition language before the Monday vote. No final vote was taken at the work session; staff and the applicant agreed to provide exhibit-level details and a condition draft ahead of the April 6 voting meeting.
The applicant described the hotel flag as Suburban Studios by Choice Hotels and estimated a reopening timeline as optimistic for fall or by the end of the year if rezoning is approved and the sale proceeds.
Because this is a rezoning with resident relocation implications, council members focused their questions on timeline, where residents would go, and what assurances would be written into a condition to guarantee protections and moving assistance.
