By Matthew Holloway |

Jim Griset, the proprietor of a souvenir store, an art gallery, and a Harley Davidson shop in Prescott, has secured a hard-fought victory in his efforts to bring his vision of a new hotel to the city’s historic downtown. Represented by Goldwater Institute attorney Jon Riches, Griset’s victory successfully overturned a City Council ruling that upheld the Prescott Preservation Commission’s denial of his permit.

According to the Goldwater Institute, Griset has sought to transform three buildings he already owns on Prescott’s historic Whiskey Row into a hotel. The buildings already house his existing businesses, but he has endeavored since 2023 to bring the hotel into being that would “complement the surrounding architecture and preserve the charm and character that make Prescott special.”

As noted by Goldwater, none of the buildings in question are listed as historic. Still, they are located within the city’s designated historic district and thus require approval from the Preservation Commission.

Writing for Goldwater Riches explained:

“When Jim first submitted his application in 2023, the commission rejected it—not based on any clear or objective standards, but in response to NIMBY [not-in-my-backyard] opposition and vague impressions.  Instead of pointing to identifiable criteria in the city’s preservation code, the commission relied on subjective notions like whether the design was ‘respectful’ of the district’s ‘intimate scale.’

Those terms don’t appear anywhere in the law. They’re not defined. They’re entirely subjective—which is exactly what the law is supposed to prevent.”

The law Riches refers to is The Permit Freedom Act, a Goldwater Institute-developed law enacted in 2023. He notes, “The Act prohibits local governments from making new rules midstream or applying vague, subjective standards to block lawful use of private property. And that is precisely what Prescott did.”

When Griset applied for the permit and was denied, he reportedly took the commission’s feedback, revised his designs, and worked to meet the standards set. “Yet every time he met the standards placed before him, the standards seemed to change,” Riches wrote.

When the denial was appealed to the Prescott City Council, the Council ruled against Griset. The council brought in a neutral historic preservation expert, who found that Griset had met the standards, and Goldwater attorneys brought the potential violation of the Permit Freedom Act to the City’s attention. Goldwater told the city, “Based on this review, under the Permit Freedom Act, there was simply no legal criteria authorizing the denial of his permit,” per Riches. However, the Commission again ruled 3-2 against Griset and his hotel plans.

Riches noted that in 2024, Prescott’s City Council sold the old City Hall building to a property developer with similar plans for a four-story hotel in the very same district. But it wasn’t rejected by the Commission or Council.

On November 4th, the City Council heard Mr. Griset’s appeal. Riches wrote, “Several council members spoke openly about the importance of private property rights and the need for fair, consistent rules—not decisions driven by subjective preferences or political pressure. Members of the public echoed the same: government rules must be fair, consistent, and objective. They should not favor some over others.”

Riches concluded, “Property owners in Prescott, and across Arizona, deserve certainty. They deserve to know the rules before they invest.  When government shifts the rules or invents new ones as it goes, it undermines confidence, deters investment, and violates the law.”

The council voted to overturn the Preservation Commission’s decision. Mr. Griset’s hotel plan is pending approval from Prescott’s city zoning and planning commission and, subsequently, from the Council. A water service agreement will also require approval.

Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.