Remember like two years ago when word came out that a hotel was planned for 17th & Chancellor and everybody freaked out because this meant that Little Pete's was going to lose its lease? Over the following year, we heard that maybe it wasn't going to happen, then the developers got a councilmanic ordinance and it seemed like it would indeed happen. Then another year passed without much news and we'd been wondering whether the project had fallen through. Next month though, the developers will present their plans at Civic Design Review, giving us a strong sense that this project will indeed move forward.
The CDR presentation is chock full of information about the project, reiterating some of the info that we had previously and detailing some of the changes the project has undergone. As we told you before, the hotel operator has switched from Hudson Hotel to Hyatt Centric, a brand that focuses on urban locations. Though the exterior design has changed some, the building will still rise 13 stories and include 309 rooms, with underground parking and retail on the first two floors. A rooftop restaurant concept has been removed, which is a bit of a bummer. Still, we'd argue that the new building will look pretty sweet.
In a vacuum, we'd probably be extremely excited about this project as it's replacing a stubby building in the heart of Center City that's mostly used as a parking garage. But with the loss of Little Pete's, it will always be tough for many of us to fully embrace it. According to a Philly.com story, Little Pete's expects that they'll get notification next month that they'll have 9 months to vacant their space. They're on the lookout for a new location in the area, but it's gonna be tough to find an available space in the necessary price range. Keep your eyes peeled, folks.