This historic downtown Phoenix motel is set to be demolished

A historic downtown Phoenix hotel is on the chopping block as developers push forward with new housing near Roosevelt Row.

The landmark Coronado Hotel at 801 N. First St., which has become a decrepit eyesore over the decades. The nearly century-old property faces demolition under plans tied to a residential expansion by Phoenix developer True North Studio. The project also includes tearing down the original location of Matt’s Big Breakfast located next dor.

The Coronado, which dates back to the late 1920s, is one of the few remaining relics of a bygone era of downtown Phoenix that’s been slowly been felled as redevelopment has reshaped the area over the last two decades.

Soon, it could be gone.

Jonathon Vento, principal of True North Studio, is in escrow to purchase both properties. A demolition application was submitted Feb. 27, according to city of Phoenix records. Because of the Coronado Hotel’s age, the site is under a 60-day historic hold that runs through April 28.

That delay gives preservation advocates time to respond or explore alternatives. It does not stop demolition from moving forward once the hold expires.

If approved, the Coronado Hotel would be cleared as part of a broader push to build new residential units in one of downtown’s fastest-changing neighborhoods.

Developer plans call for new housing in Roosevelt Row

Both properties was sold in 2020 to an entity affiliated with developer Vento for an estimated $1 million. The site is expected to be host an expansion of The Herrera, a mixed-use development just north of the hotel, according to AZCentral.

Plans call for clearing both the hotel and the former Matt’s Big Breakfast space to make way for additional residential units tied to the project.

Vento told AZCentral he initially explored preserving parts of the Coronado Hotel but abandoned the idea due to the building’s condition. Structural deterioration and long-term use as low-cost housing over the last several decades made it difficult to adapt.

“My whole thing about this neighborhood is I really want to make it a safe place,” Vento told AZCentral. “Then we can curate it for fun and interesting things.”

From 1920s home to longtime hotel

The two-story Coronado Hotel dates to the 1920s, when a single-family home stood on the site. It became a place to stay in 1929 as the Lamb Hotel and was renamed the Coronado Hotel in 1932, according to Preserve Phoenix.

The property shifted again in 1964. The original house was torn down and a small, 800-square-foot building went up along First Street.

That structure cycled through restaurants over the years. Creole favorite Chez Bubba operated there from the early 1980s until 2001. Matt’s Big Breakfast followed, opening in 2004 and staying until 2011.

For decades, the Coronado served as a cheap, no-frills place to stay and later housed long-term residents.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Preserve Phoenix summed up its role.

“The Coronado Hotel has long been a respite for the weary traveler looking for a modest place to stay for the night and currently has a number of long term residents,” the post stated.

Even now, that identity lingers.

“One can imagine all of the history that this hotel has seen in its near century in downtown Phoenix,” the post stated.

Later this year, both the Coronado Hotel and the adjacent building could become another piece of Phoenix history.