Council Backs Hotel Plan for City Hall Site

A 130-room boutique hotel and spa was chosen by the Newport Beach City Council to potentially be built at the former City Hall site to help revamp Lido Village.

At it's Tuesday night meeting, the City Council voted 6-0 with Councilman Mike Henn abstaining, to approve a proposal for the Lido House Hotel. According to developer R.D. Olson, the plans include 130 boutique hotel rooms, a rooftop lounge, spa and an upscale restaurant.

"Virtually everywhere we've gone, we've had support," Bob Olson, president and chief executive officer of R.D. Olson, told the City Council. "We are very humbled by the response we've received."

Olson used various words to describe why the Lido House Hotel was the right choice for the site, including "balanced, feasible, thoughtful and nautical."

Before the vote Mayor Keith Curry said it was "a historic day for the city" and said staff grappled with "three outstanding proposals."

Councilwoman Nancy Garner and Councilman Tony Petros said they were concerned R.D. Olson's hotel plan didn't have ample parking and hoped it would be addressed in upcoming negotiations.

"As much as we would like it, all of these people are not going to be taking 
public transit or riding their bike," Gardner said.

Olson said he was committed to adjusting the plans to ensure the Lido House Hotel has plenty of parking for guests and employees.

"The last thing we want to do is develop a hotel that doesn't have enough parking," Olson said.

The other proposals submitted for the old City Hall site, located at 3300 Newport Boulevard on the Balboa Peninsula, included a 99-unit mixed use residential project with 15,000 square feet of commercial space by the Shopoff Group and a 148-room boutique hotel with a spa and fitness center by Sonnenblick Development.

According to a staff report, staff recommended R.D. Olson's Lido House Hotel because it "best balances the City’s economic and land use priorities for the former City Hall site," and because the architecture compliments Lido Village, Cannery Village and the Balboa Peninsula.

The Lido House Hotel will be subject to an environmental impact report, public hearings, approval by the Planning Commission and the California Coastal Commission.

Do you think the Newport Beach City Council made the right decision for the former City Hall site? Tell us in the comments.

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