Luxury living on Broad St.

Real estate experts say that what Dranoff has achieved with Symphony House is remarkable, given the tough residential condo market nationally and in Philadelphia.

"The fact he has developed a brand-new condo from the ground up, sold a good portion of the building, and managed the product and still kept control of it is a first," said Allan Domb of Allan Domb Real Estate, who specializes in the Center City luxury-condo market. "Everyone else lost their projects to lenders.

"For him to be standing there and be able to meet the first resident, that is a Philly first," Domb said. "It has not happened in 100 years. It is Philadelphia history being made."

Over the last decade, Dranoff has made his mark transforming large buildings into luxury residential properties, such as the $75 million Left Bank in West Philadelphia and the $65 million Victor building in Camden. With the completion of Symphony House, he will turn his attention to two other residential projects along Broad Street: a $250 million development with two towers at Broad and Washington, and a $75 million project at Broad and Fitzwater.

"We try to place bets on the next great neighborhood and then that's where we go," Dranoff said.