Councilman Squilla Introduces New Zoning to Ease Path for Hyde Hotel Project

At the corner of Broad and Pine, the Hyde Hotel is seen as a "bookend" to the SLS LUX, the latter has been delayed by the state budget impasse.

Hyde hotel

Hyde Hotel | Rendering via Dranoff Properties, BLTa

Though Carl Dranoff’s plans to bring the SLS LUX hotel and residences to the corner of Broad and Spruce have been delayed by the state budget impasse, that hasn’t held him up from moving onto his other sbe-backed hotel project: the Hyde Hotel at Broad and Pine.

Jared Brey of PlanPhilly reports that Councilman Mark Squilla introduced two new bits of zoning legislation last week that would “remove some obstacles” for the project. One seeks to up zone the property from CMX-4 to CMX-5, the most permissive commercial zoning classification; the other would take care of issues with parking, loading, and roof decks.

The proposed 22-story building is seen as a “bookend” to the SLS Lux project, which occupies the northern corner of the 300 block of South Broad Street. It would rise 292 feet off of the street, and contain a mix 76 hotel rooms, approximately 83 apartments, a ground floor restaurant and an underground parking garage. The roof deck legislation comes into play due to a separate roof top restaurant and deck on the 23rd floor.

341 South Broad Street

341 South Broad Street | Google Street View

The legislative rezoning route was the plan all along. Dranoff presented the initial plans for the site to the Washington Square West Civic Association in December, and explained he had been actively trying to purchase the parking garage for 13 years. Peter Kelsen, the attorney on the project, said in December that the plans had received a favorable response from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and, though the hadn’t introduced legislation at that time, the PCPC wanted to see the project done through the legislative rezoning process.

The plan will be presented to WSWCA zoning committee on February 23. Councilman Squilla’s legislation “will then be considered by the City Planning Commission and City Council’s Committee on Rules,” reports Brey.

The property is currently owned by the estate of Sam Rappaport, and Dranoff said he expects to close on the deal by June 1. Construction could in early 2017 with an opening anticipated in 2018.