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Amtrak, seeking to support projects to increase ridership and earn revenue from real estate holdings, selected Brandywine as the developer of a state-of-the-art tower designed by César Pelli, connected to a new nine-story parking garage. Hines proposed an office, hotel and shopping center and in 1992 a stadium was once again proposed, and once again dismissed.īrandywine first announced their plans for the Cira Centre in 2002. In the 70s, the location was considered as a site for an exposition celebrating the bicentennial, and as a possible home for the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the 80s real estate developer Gerald D. The parcel just north of 30th Street Station had been targeted for development dating back to the 1960s when it was on a short list of possible locations for what eventually became Veterans Stadium in South Philadelphia. The Cira Centre, Brandywine Realty Trust’s 29-story skyscraper, was a long time in the works. Here enters Brandywine Realty Trust, the company who has made the biggest impact thus far in eastern University City, and just might redefine the entire region.though more on that later. The Left Bank proved that redevelopment was a viable option in eastern University City, and it was now up to another player to test out the viability of new construction in the market.
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100,000 square feet of office space, which Penn made its facilities headquarters, and 260 parking spaces.” Originally developed for $58 million and opened in 2001, the site was recently valued at $120 million and sparked development to follow. Speaking to Philadelphia Magazine about the project, Dranoff said, “We created a destination, not just a building: 20,000 square feet of retail space, including shops and restaurants.
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But what Dranoff saw-and what eventually transpired-was the development that would follow throughout the area from players like Penn, Drexel, CHOP, and Amtrak, and he wanted to be in on it from the start. The 700,000 square-foot building had formerly been home to General Electric’s missile and spacecraft division.Įxperts thought Dranoff was “nuts” for tackling the project, as he later told The Philadelphia Inquirer in a January 2014 interview. His plan for a mixed-use retail and housing building, a now-familiar concept that was more novel in the late 90s, was selected by the University of Pennsylvania when they sought to redevelop the former Pennsylvania Railroad freight warehouse at 32nd and Chestnut Streets. Home to 30th Street Station, the main branch of the city’s post office, and not much else, the area was the type of place travelers moved through as quickly as possible on their way to somewhere else.Īt a time when the neighborhood was considered undesirable for real estate investment, Drexel grad Carl Dranoff was one of the first developers to take a risk in the area. Twenty years ago, the eastern edge of University City was an expanse of concrete: sidewalks, overpasses, on-ramps, and bridges connecting the neighborhood to Center City. Today, we turn our attention to the new University City, the University City currently rising along the western banks of the Schuylkill River. Most of the stories in our 20 Years, 20 Stories campaign have focused on University City and West Philadelphia legends, lore, and favorites-from storied restaurants, to the origins of University City District initiatives, to profiles of local arts groups. Ed's Buffalo Wings & Pizza / Rana's Middle Eastern Cuisine.The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College.The Porch at 30th Street Station Events.The Mayor of The Porch at 30th Street Station.The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative.The Duo Behind the University City Review.The Growth of Philadelphia's Second Skyline.