The developers behind a controversial project on Hyde Park Square are rescinding their application, according to a spokesperson.
City Council will vote next week on an ordinance to reverse a decision that granted the project the status of Planned Development. If Council passes the repeal ordinance, a citizen-led referendum will no longer be on the November ballot.
The repeal ordinance was submitted by Mayor Aftab Pureval and all nine City Council members. A spokesperson for the mayor declined to comment except to say the repeal was submitted at the request of the developer.
A spokesperson for the developer says it will submit a new application for a scaled down project. Initial plans for a new design include no hotel, a maximum height of 75 feet (reduced from 85.5 feet), fewer parking spaces, and reduced commercial space on the ground floor.
Developers met with the group Save Hyde Park Square earlier this week to negotiate, but the two parties didn't reach an agreement. In a statement released after the meeting, the group says it ended in an impasse: "Despite progress in other areas, the height of the proposed development remains a central obstacle."
The development team sent a letter to Mayor Pureval on Friday indicating their plan to begin a new application process with the updated design plan.
"The revised plan offers a balanced path forward: addressing concerns while still delivering housing and renewed vitality to the Square," the letter says. "A referendum, by contrast, would only divide the community further, delay progress, and drain resources that should be directed toward building a stronger future."
Budget and Finance Committee Chair Jeff Cramerding says the repeal will be on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting.
Read the full letter from the development team below, followed by an Aug. 27 letter from Save Hyde Park Square:
Full letter from Save Hyde Park Square, dated Aug. 27:
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