City-Built Hotel Plan Gets A Push

The city council will take a step toward building a luxury downtown hotel that would add $300 million to the city's debt. Council members are expected to green-light negotiations with hotel firms to operate a 1,000-room venture that backers say is crucial to the success of an expanded Phoenix Civic Plaza. "Councilman Tom Simplot said he worries about the cost, especially since voters only recently approved spending $300 million on Civic Plaza renovations. He said he has 'a philosophical issue' with the city getting into the hotel business."