New Hotel Now Open Within National Historic Landmark

A brand new hotel is now open in one of the nation’s most historic areas. The grand opening May 21 of the $23 million Hilton Garden Inn Yuma is a major success story for La Jolla developer C.W. Clark, Inc., who has spent the past decade working with numerous public and private interests to redevelop 22 acres called Pivot Point within the Yuma Crossing National Historic Landmark. “Thanks to the inspired vision of the City of Yuma, a commitment of financial backing from the Quechan Indian Tribe, and the collaborative efforts of some 20 additional public and private agencies, we have built a beautiful new hotel and 20,000-square-foot conference center right on the historic banks of the Colorado River,” said Craig Clark, president of the commercial real estate development company. “It took 10 years and a lot of people who have devoted a lot of time to make this happen, and we look forward to continuing the process.” While often slowed by the process of assembling the land, gaining consensus, resolving historic preservation and environmental issues, C.W. Clark was never hindered by lawsuits in the 10-year development of the new Hilton Garden Inn Yuma. “This project is a model of collaboration between the developer and the historic preservationists and all the local, state and federal governments and agencies who are involved in a project on this level of historical importance and sensitivity,” explained Charles Flynn, executive director of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corp., a liaison agency for Yuma’s riverfront development issues. “As far as we know, this is the first time there has been major new construction in a National Historic Landmark. It was an honor to be able to build within a national landmark, and we worked hard to be sure we were all respectful of the historic context. The successful completion is a tribute to Craig Clark’s persistence, devotion to the area and to his collaborative efforts.” Pivot Point is a joint-venture mixed-use project of the City of Yuma and San Diego-based Clark-Lankford, LLC, as master developer. C.W. Clark Inc. is the managing member. In addition to the new Hilton Garden Inn and Pivot Point Conference Center, the project also includes Yuma’s $30 million state-of-the-art City Hall, which was completed in 2002. The next portion of the project, expected to be completed in the fall, is Pivot Point Plaza, an expansive historic interpretive center showcasing a 1908 Baldwin locomotive engine. At home adjacent to the Hilton Garden Inn, the train and planned interactive interpretive display will tell the story of the early railroad and riverboat days along the Colorado River. The project is planned to include an observation deck and interpretive displays. Future phases of the ambitious Pivot Point project are planned to include a federal courthouse, office buildings, riverfront restaurants, a boutique hotel, town homes, specialty retail stores and apartments. “What we are witnessing is a rebirth of Yuma,” said Mayor Lawrence K. Nelson during the recent grand opening celebration of the hotel and conference center. “We are again on the map, no longer the little community in the southwest corner of Arizona. This is the first major step of historic growth of our community.” In the 1960s, the Yuma Crossing was designated as a national historic landmark. In 2000, Congress designated the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Yuma is significant in U.S. history because it served as a crucial link in the development of the nation. The geography of the area, specifically two granite outcroppings, created a narrowing of the “mighty” Colorado River that made crossing the waterway possible. “Strategically located at the only practical crossing point on the lower Colorado River, Pivot Point saw 60,000 people cross the river by rope ferry during the California Gold Rush,” Flynn explained. “Then the Southern Pacific Railroad came to town in 1877, creating another defining moment for the community, sparking tremendous growth and commercial activity along the riverfront, including the highly praised Southern Pacific Hotel.” Opened in 1881, the Southern Pacific Hotel was a two-story, wood frame structure with a wide covered porch that extended on all sides. Now open on nearly the same location on the southern banks of the Colorado River and almost exactly 128 years to the day after the Southern Pacific Hotel opened, the Hilton Garden Inn continues the Yuma legacy. Built with reverence to the past, as an interpretation of its historic location, the 150-room Hilton Garden Inn features Southwest-inspired interiors accentuated by regional artifacts, local photography and historic images of Yuma. The four-story business-class hotel’s amenities include: a pool and whirlpool; a full bar; casual dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner; evening room service; exercise facility; complimentary 24-hour business center and more than 21,000 square feet of flexible meeting and special event space. Offering numerous river-view rooms, the new Hilton Garden Inn is just a leisurely walk from Gateway Park, a family friendly recreation area on the banks of the Colorado with picnic areas and beaches. A bike path from the hotel leads to the Yuma Quartermaster’s Depot Historic Park and provides vistas of restored wetlands, the famous river and its canals.  Also nearby is the historic Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge, renovated and reopened in 2002, and West Wetlands Park. The new hotel is also adjacent to the 20,000-square-foot Pivot Point Conference Center, opened late last year and bringing first-class business conference facilities to the region. Also developed by C.W. Clark, Inc., Pivot Point Conference Center offers meeting space for as few as six and as many as 600 people. The Conference Center features more than 8,000 square feet of unobstructed meeting space, two executive conference rooms, a generous pre-function meeting area and flexible outdoor exhibit space exceeding 5,500 square feet. In addition to extensive food and beverage options, first-class features also include state-of-the-art audio and visual systems and wireless high-speed Internet access. Together, the $30 million Pivot Point Conference Center and Hilton Garden Inn are the focal point of major redevelopment project along the historic Colorado riverfront area of Yuma, Ariz. It is estimated that the total private investment in the overall Pivot Point project will be more than $100 million. Already Pivot Point has been recognized for its innovative efforts. The redevelopment project in 2007 received a Public-Private Partnership Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). C.W. Clark, Inc., headquartered in La Jolla, Calif., is one of the region’s most experienced commercial real estate developers.  Founded by Craig Clark in 1974, the company is one of the three largest active commercial developers in San Diego County. C.W. Clark, Inc. currently is involved with 10 projects totaling more than 2 million square feet in commercial, hotel and urban residential real estate development under way in San Diego County, Arizona and Oregon. For more information, call 858-452-7170 or visit www.cwclarkinc.com.


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