Developer proposes to put Hyatt hotel at airport
By Sharokina Shams 7:25 PM PST Jan 23, 2015
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —The Sacramento International Airport could finally have a new hotel if plans that have been years in the making are approved next week.
Sonnenblick Development, a Los Angeles-based developer, is proposing to put a Hyatt Place hotel in a grassy area next to a parking garage, an open space between the airport’s two terminals.
Watch report: Plans in the works to build hotel at Sac Int’l
An existing hotel was torn down more than six years ago to make room for the new Terminal B and the recession stopped plans for a new hotel at that time.
The new terminal, which cost roughly $1 billion, has left the airport in debt and forced budget cuts.
Wheat said a new hotel, in addition to giving travelers a convenient place to stay, would also bring in new money.
“Everything helps, I mean, it’s a revenue,” Wheat said.
The $24 million in construction costs would be paid by the developer, who would pay the airport about $2.5 million up front, and several hundred thousand dollars a year to lease the property.
On Friday, some travelers said a new hotel would make traveling more convenient for out-of-town visitors and for travelers from around Northern California.
“If you’re leaving on a long trip and have a very early departure, that might be a good idea,” said Neil Robinson, who said he lives in Folsom.
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Video Transcript
INTERVIEW WITH SABRINA RODRIGUEZ RIGHT NOW ON KCRA.COM. PLANS ARE MOVING FORWARD TO BUILD A HOTEL AT SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. IF COUNTY LEADERS APPROVE THIS PLAN, THE HOTEL WOULD BE BUILT HERE IN THIS GRASSY AREA BETWEEN TERMINAL A AND TERMINAL B. AND THE NEW HYATT PLACE HOTEL WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS. KCRA 3’S SHAROKINA SHAMS IS LIVE AT THE AIRPORT AND THESE PLANS AREN’T REALLY NEW. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL HAPPEN. THAT’S RIGHT. THESE PLANS HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING. WE CAN TAKE A LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOWS AND GIVE YOU A LOOK AT THE SITE BEHIND ME LOOKING OUT THE WINDOWS OF THE BACK OF TERMINAL B. THE HOTEL WOULD GO WHERE THAT ART WORK SITS OUTSIDE A PARKING GARAGE. IT COULD MEAN A MUCH-NEEDED FINANCIAL BOOST FOR A COUNTY AIRPORT THAT HAS A LOT OF DEBT. DUSTIN BILTON IS VISITING SACRAMENTO TODAY WITH HIS 18-MONTH-OLD SON. NORMALLY, HE’S HERE ON BUSINESS AND LIKES THE IDEA OF A HOTEL AT SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. FOR ME AS A MANAGER, IF I WANT TO HOST A MEETING HERE, IT GIVES ME ANOTHER OPTION, TOO. FOR ANOTHER REASON THAT WE WOULDN’T GO TO SAN FRANCISCO. IT WOULD GIVE SACRAMENTO ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. THIS ART SHOWS WHAT HYATT IS PLANNING — A NEW, 135-ROOM HOTEL LIKE THIS HYATT PLACE HOTEL WHICH WAS BUILT IN ROSEVILLE, NEAR THUNDER VALLEY CASINO FIVE YEARS AGO. EVERYBODY’S GOING TO HAVE JOBS. IT’S KIND OF A PEBBLE IN THE WATER, IT GOES OUT FROM THERE. AN EXISTING HOTEL HERE WAS TORN DOWN SIX YEARS AGO TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEW TERMINAL B. WITH A COST OF $1 BILLION, THIS TERMINAL HAS ALSO BROUGHT DEBT TO THE AIRPORT AND FORCED BUDGET CUTS. BUT A NEW HOTEL, SINCE IT WOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE DEVELOPER, COULD HELP PUT A DENT IN THAT. HYATT WOULD PAY THE AIRPORT $2.5 MILLION UP FRONT AND THEN SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR TO LEASE THE PROPERTY. JOHN WHEAT IS THE COUNTY’S AIRPORT DIRECTOR. EVERYTHING HELPS. I MEAN, IT’S A REVENUE. IT REALLY BENEFITS THE PEOPLE WITHIN OUR PRIMARY REGION, A REGION ALL THE WAY UP TO REDDING, YOU KNOW, WITHIN 100 MILES OF THIS AIRPORT. THERE WERE PLANS FOR A NEW HOTEL AS TERMINAL B WAS GOING UP, BUT THEY WERE SCRAPPED BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION. TODAY THOUGH, IT WASN’T JUST FAR-AWAY TRAVELERS WHO TOLD US THEY’D STAY IN A HOTEL HERE. NEIL ROBINSON LIVES IN FOLSOM. IF YOU’RE LEAVING ON A LONG TRIP AND HAVE A VERY EARLY DEPARTURE, THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA. IN CASE YOU’RE CURIOUS, HYATT IS SET TO SPEND $24 MILLION BUILDING THE HOTEL. THIS ISN’T A DONE DEAL UNTIL THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES IT. THEY’RE SET TO CONSIDER IT AT THEIR MEETING NEXT WEEK.