Mr. Unger is the founder and President of Spring Creek Development, a Scottsdale-based firm established in 1992, specializing in the restoration, development and management of signature real estate projects, with an emphasis on boutique hotels and fine dining restaurants. Mr. Unger and his team, which include Jennifer Unger, CFO, and Randall Brown, Vice President, are responsible for such notable properties as the Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley, Arizona, the Royal Palms Hotel and Casitas in Phoenix, Arizona, and South Bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Mr. Unger’s newest project is a 125,000 sq. ft. mixed-use redevelopment in downtown Scottsdale, where Spring Creek has been assembling property on behalf of Scottsdale Canal Project LLC for nearly ten years. Set along the South Bank of the Arizona Canal, across from the 1,000,000 sq. ft. Scottsdale Waterfront project and Fashion Square Mall, the development, called South Bridge, will feature four individually designed buildings constructed atop a new City-funded parking garage. The buildings, which will be crafted to resemble those found in an operating vineyard, will provide approximately 30,000 sq. ft. of restaurant space, 15,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and 80,000 sq. ft. of office condominiums. Occupancy is scheduled for fall 2007.
The former home and studio of cowboy artist Lon Megargee, The Hermosa Inn was purchased in 1992 and meticulously restored as Arizona’s only authentic hacienda. Paying the utmost attention to historical accuracy, the 35-room Hermosa Inn and its award-winning restaurant, Lon’s, officially opened in 1994. Mr. Unger and Spring Creek still own and operate the popular inn, recently adding a library, an executive boardroom, and an underground wine cellar to the intimate resort’s amenities.
The Royal Palms Hotel was purchased in 1995, whereupon Spring Creek commenced a major reconstruction effort to transform the property into an authentic Mediterranean villa. The resort has long been a traditional motel for affluent travelers to the Scottsdale area, but today, the award-winning, 117-room resort is considered by most to be the preferred ticket in the competitive Scottsdale luxury hotel segment. By way of example, President Bush requested to stay there on most recent campaign stops in Phoenix, and the latest 2004 readers’ survey of Travel + Leisure magazine scored the Royal Palms higher than all other Greater Phoenix hotels and resorts, including the Phoenician, the Princess, the Boulders, and the Four Seasons. Mr. Unger sold the Royal Palms to Destination Hotels and Resorts in 1998 after he had restored and stabilized the property.
A cornerstone of Spring Creek projects, both the Hermosa Inn and the Royal Palms boast popular and award winning restaurants. At the Hermosa Inn, Lon’s features American cuisine and was named the Number One restaurant in the city by ZAGAT, among other accolades. At the Royal Palms, T. Cook’s features Mediterranean- influenced cuisine and has also been the recipient of dozens of local and national culinary awards, all of which can be found on the resort’s website.
Mr. Unger remains an active member of the community, giving generously of his time to such organizations as the Phoenix Symphony, the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, and several neighborhood community organizations.