Sedona Main Street Program proudly
nominates Sedona
Center and Al Spector (“Sedona
Center”) for the Business
Excellence Award. Sedona
Center’s
confidence in our Main Street District and determination to meet the
changing trends of consumers has proven to be an example for other
district businesses. Sedona
Center
has raised the bar for standards of business in our District with their
vision, leadership and exemplary practices.
Al Spector, through his entities,
began investing in the Sedona Main Street District more than 15 years
ago beginning with the purchase of the property known as the Canyon
Portal Complex - that Complex includes the 1940’s Trading Post Shops and
Canyon Portal Shops located along Hwy. 89A in Uptown, the Canyon Portal
Motel built behind the shops in 1946, and the 2.5 acre property.
Adjacent Sinagua
Plaza, built in 1990, is a two story retail plaza around a central
courtyard with ample multi-level parking and public restrooms in the
rear. In 1996 units were added to Canyon Portal Motel. Next, Al
implemented a partnership to add public restroom facilities (1999)– he
provided the land, $90,000 in construction costs and a merchant
agreement (still operating) to open, close and pay for the cleaning
daily; the City provided sewer capacity, connection and monthly fees.
It was Al’s foresight to install
street-front sidewalks that were pedestrian friendly, from one end of
his property to the other. These were the first ADA compliant sidewalks
in the historic downtown. The addition of shed roofs connects the Shops;
the installation of unifying landscape, shade trees and benches buffer
the highway.
The Canyon Breeze building was in-fill
construction along Hwy. 89A between the Canyon Portal Complex and
Sinagua Plaza
in 2000. Its informal building orientation and set-back enabled creation
of a front plaza with outdoor seating, water features and public art.
This $2.3 M development added 12,067 square feet of retail and
restaurant space, with interior tenant improvements over $1M. The space
has been generating sales tax revenues and employment opportunities with
100% occupancy since the day it opened. Its Canyon Breeze Restaurant was
first to make evening and weekend entertainment a regular offering and
amenity for their customers.
Remodeling of Trading Post tenant
space created a Tour Bus Lounge in 2004. A portion of the parking was
reallocated for tour buses and Sedona Center unified tenant businesses
to offer special discounts for tour companies in effort to retain and
attract that market on which so many of the Uptown businesses depend.
This is still the only area in the District specifically designed to
attract tour bus companies. Concurrently, Sedona
Center
Park was created from a concrete parking slab between two buildings,
providing an outdoor performance venue which invites visitors to linger
to enjoy dining, shopping and a variety of free entertainment.
In 2005 Sedona
Center
developed the creek-side property to create Amara Resort & Spa, adding
more jobs and additional bed tax revenues to the mix. Creation of an
EcoTrail for environmental education and preservation also provides
public access to the Creek and connects the street-side retail venue to
the creek-side lodging. In 2006-7 a spa was added to the resort, once
again maximizing the economic productivity of the property.
Recently, all the properties and
tenant businesses have been positioned as a unified visitor destination
in Uptown, offering lodging, restaurants, retail and personal services.
Sedona Center
implemented a marketing campaign to brand this central section of Hwy
89A in Uptown as the heart of our historic
Main Street. This benefits all their
tenant businesses and all the stakeholders in the Main Street District
Then Sedona
Center
instituted new tenant requirements, which have begun to change the face
and reputation of Uptown Sedona: tenants are required to stay open
evening hours, update their product line & displays, and provide unique
goods with limited duplication of products & no duplication of vendors
by tenant businesses.
Leading the way to
shared parking arrangements, Al Spector proactively pursued a
partnership with the City, providing their existing parking for public
use. Implemented in 2006 and expanded in 2007, this helps meet the
consumer needs and improves Uptown circulation, while maximizing use of
available parking round the clock.
