Tempe council approves Tempe Oasis adaptive reuse with crime‑free and security conditions

The Tempe City Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance authorizing the adaptive reuse of the former Ramada Inn at 1635 North Scottsdale Road into a multifamily rental development known as Tempe Oasis.

Councilmember Jennifer Chin moved approval of ordinance O2026.32 with two conditions: the property owner or manager must enroll in the Crime Free Multifamily Housing program prior to issuance of the certificate of occupancy and complete program requirements within six months of receiving the certificate, and the owner must submit a security plan for review and approval by the Tempe Police Department prior to issuance of the certificate and maintain that plan for the life of the business. Councilmember Bernadette Hodge seconded the motion. The measure passed 7–0.

Deborah Silva, representing applicant Camber and True Collective, described the plan as an exterior renovation of the existing motel footprint to create long‑term rental apartments and a small retail space, saying the design intends to "leave the property better than it was found." Property owner Danny Pham told council he has worked with Tempe Police for years and said he would require managers to participate in the training and follow the agreed security measures.

Scott Warren of Tempe Police's community policing unit summarized the department's involvement on security plans for similar properties and told council that since management changes at the site "calls for service since the Tempe Oasis has gone have gone down" and that the crime‑free program and an enforceable security plan give the city more accountability than a hotel configuration.

Three neighbors spoke during the public hearing. Michelle Brown, who said she has lived behind the property for decades, said the site "began to show improvement and was cleaned up" under current ownership and voiced support for conversion to long‑term rentals with a minimum one‑year lease. Darlene Justice said she supported the crime‑free multifamily commitment and welcomed the police substation planned nearby.

The council built the two conditions into the final ordinance. City Attorney Eric Anderson confirmed for the record that the ordinance referenced in the motion is O2026.32. With the conditions in place, council members who had previously expressed concern said they were comfortable voting yes.

The approval converts a motel site to multifamily housing, adding a retail component and new security and tenant screening expectations. The council noted that a parking analysis will be completed and that the city can use no‑parking signage if tenant overflow onto adjacent neighborhood lanes becomes an issue.

Next steps: the ordinance was adopted at the meeting and any final administrative steps, including issuance of the certificate of occupancy and PD review of the security plan, must be completed before units may be occupied under the new multifamily use.