{"id":43013,"date":"2025-11-11T22:57:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T22:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/43013\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T22:57:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T22:57:08","slug":"hyde-park-residents-push-back-on-magnolia-hotel-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/43013\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyde Park residents push back on Magnolia Hotel proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: This story was developed in response to community outreach following TBBW\u2019s October 22 coverage of the proposed Magnolia Hotel project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For 136 years, the Old Hyde Park Art Center has stood beneath a canopy of oaks. The small white building once served as a schoolhouse, post office and library. Today, it hosts art classes and exhibits, continuing a tradition that has shaped Hyde Park\u2019s creative identity for generations.<\/p>\n

One block away, Copperline Partners has proposed the Magnolia Hotel and Residences, a mixed-use development that includes 29 condominiums and townhomes and a 122-room hotel with a restaurant, a 30-seat bistro with takeout service and a spa. The plan also calls for a 271-space parking garage.<\/p>\n

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Renderings show brick facades and tree-lined sidewalks designed to blend into the neighborhood\u2019s historic setting. For many who live nearby, the concern is not design but scale.<\/p>\n

Donna Morrison, vice president of Tampa Regional Artists, which operates the art center, said the project could upend one of Hyde Park\u2019s longest-standing cultural institutions. \u201cThe art center has anchored the neighborhood\u2019s creative life for more than 50 years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"SidewalkThe proposed Magnolia Hotel.<\/p>\n

A project still awaiting approval<\/p>\n

The Magnolia proposal is not yet approved. It requires both a land use change and rezoning. The Hillsborough County Planning Commission must first issue a recommendation before the Tampa City Council<\/a> can review it.<\/p>\n

The Planning Commission has already voted against recommending the change, citing the site\u2019s location within a federally designated Coastal High Hazard Area. The Tampa Architectural Review Commission also voted 4 to 2 in September to deny the proposal, citing its height, flood risk and inconsistency with surrounding structures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way it\u2019s been presented makes it sound like a done deal, but it\u2019s not,\u201d Morrison said. \u201cThey\u2019ve put a lot into design and renderings, but the community still has a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ: The Tampa EDITION\u2019S Chris Southwick on Tampa\u2019s luxury market<\/a><\/p>\n

The City Council hearing, originally scheduled for November 13, has been rescheduled for January. At issue is whether the property at Swann and Magnolia should be reclassified from residential and office use to mixed commercial use<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The request includes removal of an alley, a planned development zone and a height increase beyond the current 35-foot limit.<\/p>\n

The Bank of Tampa building across Magnolia rises about nine stories. The Magnolia project would reach seven stories at Swann and Magnolia before stepping down to three near Brevard and Bay.<\/p>\n

\"AA site plan of the proposed Magnolia Hotel and Residences shows a seven-story main building that steps down to three stories near Brevard and Bay. <\/p>\n

Parking, traffic and daily life<\/p>\n

Residents who live closest to the site say the project would strain the narrow neighborhood streets that already serve as the main parking area for homes and visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cBay and Brevard are about 24 feet wide,\u201d said Bobbie O\u2019Brien, who has lived on Bay Street for more than 40 years. \u201cIf a car is parked and a truck tries to get through, it clogs everything. That\u2019s where residents park now. It\u2019s already tight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ResidentsResidents say that narrow streets like Bay and Brevard, where parking already limits access, cannot support the traffic from hotel services or guest parking. Photo courtesy of Hyde Park residents.<\/p>\n

The plan includes a three-story amenities building with a ballroom, two rental spaces, a spa, a gym and a rooftop pool. Developer drawings show a two-story porch within three feet of the sidewalk on Bay Street.<\/p>\n

READ: PopUp Bagels opening 2nd Tampa location this week in Carrollwood<\/a><\/p>\n

According to city filings, the 271-space garage provides 50 spaces for an estimated 100 hotel employees, 42 for 21 condominiums, 12 for eight townhomes and eight visitor spaces for all 29 residential units. Residents argue that the calculation leaves little room for the restaurant<\/a>, bistro, gym, ballroom or rooftop pool, which together could draw hundreds of guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur students are often older,\u201d Morrison said. \u201cThey bring canvases, supplies and easels. If they can\u2019t park nearby, they can\u2019t come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Preservation and precedent<\/p>\n

Pat Cimino, a Hyde Park resident for 34 years, said the project would set a precedent for commercial development in a district built for homes and small offices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no truck routes in Hyde Park,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery restaurant brings multiple deliveries a day. The streets around this site are narrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ResidentsResidents cite service deliveries as a concern, noting that the existing streets in Hyde Park were not designed for frequent access by large trucks. Photo courtesy of Hyde Park residents.<\/p>\n

Cimino said residents are concerned not only about density but also about process. \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to work with the neighborhood,\u201d he said. \u201cThat hasn\u2019t happened the way it should.\u201d<\/p>\n

Developer response<\/p>\n

Truett Gardner, of Gardner Brewer Hudson P.A., who represents Magnolia Hotel, said the design has evolved in direct response to feedback from Hyde Park residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the initial proposal, our team has made significant design and programmatic changes in direct response to community<\/a> input,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cWe\u2019ve reduced residential density, stepped back the building massing, enhanced landscaping and setbacks, and incorporated stormwater infrastructure<\/a> that doesn\u2019t exist today. Magnolia has evolved because we\u2019ve listened. Our goal has always been to create something that honors Hyde Park\u2019s character while improving the site for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flooding and infrastructure<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien said the two-acre site lies within a Coastal High Hazard Area. She said underground stormwater vaults may handle rainwater, but not storm surge from the bay. Residents also note that the first floor would need to be raised about 10 feet to meet flood rules.<\/p>\n

READ: BODYBAR Pilates opening 9th Tampa Bay Area studio in Palmetto<\/a><\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien added that the developer purchased the parcels within the historic district, aware of the limitations that come with it. \u201cHe bought them on speculation that he could get this change through,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Alternate sites and next steps<\/p>\n

Residents point to other properties already zoned for hotel use outside the historic district, including recent proposals along Bayshore and Davis Islands. \u201cThere are options that do not touch a historic block,\u201d O\u2019Brien said.<\/p>\n

The City Council will review the Magnolia proposal in January, following the Planning Commission\u2019s issuance of its recommendation. Council members will first vote on the land use change, then on rezoning and the alley request.<\/p>\n

In filings, Copperline Partners said the project meets city code and complements the district while adding lodging, dining and housing near Bayshore. Residents counter that the area\u2019s flood risk and historic scale should guide any future development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis neighborhood is built on history,\u201d Morrison said. \u201cWe\u2019re not against change. We just want to keep what makes Hyde Park Hyde Park.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Read more TBBW stories<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s Note: This story was developed in response to community outreach following TBBW\u2019s October 22 coverage of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15966,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[28323,13684,385,28324,276,12585,28325,28326,28327,28328,7449,7797,135,610,5759,137,28329,136],"class_list":["post-43013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-community-voices","tag-copperline-partners","tag-featured-business-news","tag-flood-zone","tag-hillsborough-county","tag-historic-preservation","tag-hyde-park","tag-magnolia-hotel","tag-old-hyde-park-art-center","tag-planning-commission","tag-public-hearing","tag-real-estate-development","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-city-council","tag-tampa-development","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-neighborhoods","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}