Ahwatukee's shuttered Grace Inn will become luxury apartments
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The former Grace Inn building, seen from Interstate 10. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios
The former Grace Inn — once a popular hotel at Elliot Road and 51st Street in Ahwatukee — will be converted into a high-end apartment complex.
Why it matters: Phoenix is in the middle of an extreme housing shortage, and there are few multifamily options in the Ahwatukee area, per the developer Caliber.
The big picture: The 160-room former Grace Inn, which became a Four Points Sheraton a decade ago, will be repurposed into 104 luxury apartment units.
- Caliber also plans to build 88 townhouse-style rentals on a lot adjacent to the former hotel.
The intrigue: The developer originally purchased the hotel with the intention of keeping it as a hotel, but when the pandemic curbed business travel, Caliber decided to pivot, the company's acquisitions and real estate services director, Chris DuCharme, told Axios.
- "There's obviously many offices being converted to multifamily. Hotel to multifamily is certainly an easier conversion, which is why this kind of piqued our interest," he said.
Zoom in: The tower apartments will include 23 studios, 80 one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit. The first floor will feature amenities designed for "work-from-home residents," according to the company.
- The townhouse units will average about 1,200 square feet and some will have direct garage access.
What we're watching: The once-attached convention center has already been demolished and renovation will begin in force this fall with the hope of completing the conversion late next year, DuCharme said.
- Caliber hopes to begin construction on the townhouse portion of the project next year, he said.