Spotlight on University City: World-class universities and hospitals. Millions of square feet of real estate development. Cherished small businesses and cultural organizations. University City is continually setting the pace for development and scientific discoveries in the region, functions as a major employment hub, is a transportation nucleus with some of the best arteries in Philadelphia for walking and biking, and serves as a destination for food lovers and culture seekers. With luxury apartments and beautiful Victorian homes, family-run restaurants and anchor institutions, and a tight-knit community of residents, University City is a neighborhood of growth and possibility where the quality of life matches the quality of opportunity.

Real Estate Development: Despite disruptions brought on by COVID-19, progress in University City’s real estate sector continued to reshape Philadelphia’s second skyline. Since the end of 2019, 29 major real estate projects were completed, made significant progress, or moved closer to breaking ground, representing new inventory for residential, institutional, public space, medical, commercial, and mixed-use projects. Significant progress has been made on three major long-term developments: uCity Square; Schuylkill Yards; and the 30th Street Master Plan. Other key developments, including the new Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the reimagining of the Bulletin Building, and the Lab at Pennovation Works, made significant strides toward completion. All told, these investments, totaling nearly 7.5 million square feet in space, further cement University City’s status as a major regional hub for employment, research, and places to live.

Amtrak’s 30th Street Station: When the world stopped due to the spread of the coronavirus, Amtrak kept moving, providing an essential service to those who needed it most. With a full-time medical director and public health and safety team who have been on the front lines throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, Amtrak studied, analyzed, and made improvements to the travel experience – from beginning to end – for the safety and health of its workers and travelers. During this challenging time, Amtrak remained committed to advancing a core set of essential projects that are critical to its long-term strategy and success. In June of 2020, Amtrak announced the selection of Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia (PIP), a team with international expertise, to form a master development partnership via ground lease for the renovation of William H. Gray III 30th Street Station. The key team members who will design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the station include Plenary Americas USA Ltd., one of the largest dedicated, public-private partnership developers in North America, who has partnered with Gilbane Building Company, Johnson Controls Inc., and Vantage Airport Group Ltd. The team was selected in part due to its dedication to engaging Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBE”), community hiring, and workforce development strategies. The master development partnership will restore and highlight the historic fabric of the majestic station, while heightening the customer experience by introducing new amenities, reinvigorating the structure’s retail and commercial potential, improving and expanding existing office space, and enhancing transit and pedestrian traffic flows.

Schuylkill Yards: Currently rising in University City, Schuylkill Yards is the $3.5 billion, master-planned neighborhood being developed by Brandywine Realty Trust that began with the development of Cira Centre in 2005, and continues today following nine successful phases of development totaling over $1 billion of investment along the Schuylkill riverfront so far. A 14-acre neighborhood that embodies striking architecture, 6.5 acres of public greenspace, 132,000 square feet of dynamic retail and entertainment options, 4.8 million square feet of world-class workspace, and 1.9 million square feet of living space, Schuylkill Yards is Philadelphia’s new nexus of knowledge and innovation in one of the world’s leading life science hubs.

Drexel Square, the first of Schuylkill Yard’s 6.5 acres of planned green spaces, opened to the public in June of 2019. The 1.3 acre park features a 12,000 square foot elliptical lawn, 23 Dawn Redwood trees, and an array of shrubs and perennials in over 9,000 square feet of raised planted beds. In August of 2019, Brandywine unveiled architectural designs for the East and West Towers at Schuylkill Yards. Designed to complement each other, the Towers artfully merge inspiration from historic building materials with modern architecture, and are linked by The Highline Park, a welcoming, publicly-accessible destination for intimate programmed events, relaxation, collaboration, and community enjoyment.

As Philadelphia continues to grow into one of the nation’s leading life science hubs, Schuylkill Yards solidifies its place as the ecosystem’s heart. Here, directly adjacent to Amtrak’s 30th Street Station, Drexel University, and the University of Pennsylvania, Brandywine is building a connection point to world-class healthcare and academic institutions, top-tier talent, and readily-available investment capital. In 2020, Brandywine completed the reimagination of the historic Bulletin Building, and broke ground on a redevelopment of 3000 Market Street—both of which are fully leased to leading gene therapy company Spark Therapeutics. Looking ahead, Brandywine is actively leasing both the East and West Towers, alongside a newly-unveiled dedicated life science building at 3151 Market Street.

uCity Square: UCity Square is the 7 million square foot mixed-use Knowledge Community, with borders along Market Street from 34th through 39th Street, Powelton Avenue, and Lancaster Avenue. The community is being developed by Wexford Science & Technology in partnership with the University City Science Center and Ventas. Physically located at the intersection of the campuses of Drexel, Penn, Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital, and Wistar and adjacent to the neighborhoods of Powelton Village, West Powelton, and Mantua, uCity Square is the central place where research, commercialization, and talent meet to produce dynamic and inclusive growth in our region. The community currently boasts over 3 million square feet of office, lab, residential, and retail space, and is comprised of over 200 companies and 10,000 employees, students, faculty, and entrepreneurs.

Office Space: University City is home to nearly 5 million square feet of office space, with another 300,000 square feet currently under construction. Major long-term projects including Schuylkill Yards, 3.0 and now 4.0 University Place, and additional buildings at uCity Square will add to this robust total. In Q2 of 2020, University City commercial real estate was leased at a percentage of 92.9%, good for the second highest occupancy rate out of all Philadelphia submarkets, and its asking gross rent of $39.99 per square foot is the highest in the region, displaying the continued desirability of doing business in University City. When companies, labs, and businesses fully return to in-person workplaces, University City will be ready with plenty of state-of-the art offerings designed to provide safe working places with pandemic-proof features.

Higher Education: With five institutions of higher education in the district, University City is renowned worldwide for its exceptional colleges and universities. Whether they come from around the block, country, or world, over 53,000 undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students enrolled in programs at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, the University of the Sciences, Community College of Philadelphia West Campus, and the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. Although most schools sent students home when the pandemic hit, local institutions found ways to pivot and keep students engaged through virtual learning and innovative approaches to extracurricular activities during an extremely challenging time. When it’s safe to return, students at the major local institutions of higher learning will once again be drawn to our neighborhood’s global dining scene, beautiful campuses, and prime location within the city and on the eastern seaboard.

Life in the Neighborhood: As a place to live, University City offers something for everyone. Options for housing are as varied as the residents, with historic homes, walk-up apartments, stylish high-rises, dormitories, and more. Over 100 acres of public space and parks offer respite from the city streets and places for people to relax, recharge, and spread out. An eclectic dining scene caters to every appetite, featuring a blend of longstanding mom-and-pop restaurants, cuisine from around the globe, and outposts for local and national chains. University City boasts a robust arts and culture scene, including theaters, art galleries, and local dance and performance groups. The streets, sidewalks, and transit stations combine to offer excellent options for traveling within the neighborhood or to points beyond, and our neighborhood again earned a “paradise” distinction from Walkscore.com for walking, biking, and transit. Local schools earn annual accolades, and construction on a new $38 million K-8 school called the Powel-Science Leadership Academy Middle School (PSLAMS) will be completed by the end of 2020 at 3610 Warren Street. Active neighborhood associations and community groups inject unique character and civic pride in smaller sub-neighborhoods, and have proven a valuable resource for the community in times of need.

Employment in University City: In the years leading up to the pandemic, job growth in University City was on a steady upward trajectory. We logged gains in employment numbers for four consecutive years, and in 2019 topped 85,000 jobs for the first time, with education and healthcare making up nearly 79% of all jobs in our neighborhood. We anticipate the consistent job growth in these fields will help speed up the recovery in hard hit sectors such as retail and hospitality that have seen the steepest job losses. Overall, we’re optimistic about our neighborhood’s chances for accelerated recovery, as more office space is completed and leased, more labs and research facilities open, more companies move into the neighborhood, and University City’s tens of thousands of students return to in-person learning.

Innovation: University City is considered the region’s leader in science and innovation. Discoveries initiated in University City spark billions of dollars in economic growth and attract international attention in fields like biotech, robotics, and medicine. In 2019, a record number of patents was issued to University City businesses and institutions, while R&D investment reached $1.85 billion. 43% of the $1.43 billion in total Pennsylvania National Institutes of Health funding was awarded to University City institutions. University City’s robust life science offerings led to an October CRBE report ranking Philadelphia as the 7th top and 5th fastest-growing life science cluster in the country. And when the pandemic hit, local institutions sprang into action, working on initiatives ranging from potential vaccines to ventilators to unique fabrics for masks. And now, the two most promising COVID-19 vaccines in development from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna each rely on messenger RNA delivery, a process developed in 2005 by Penn professors, meaning a scientific discovery initiated in University City may play a key role in ending the global pandemic.

Road to Recovery: Reverberations from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt throughout our country, region, and neighborhood. Considered by some to be the sharpest economic shock since the Great Depression, the pandemic impacted all aspects of our daily lives, including how we work, travel, and gather with others. Despite major impacts to our small businesses, our colleges and universities, and across our local economy, there are many reasons to feel optimistic about University City’s ability to recover.

For the full report, visit https://issuu.com/universitycity/docs/the_state_of_university_city_2021?fr=sODlmNTIzNzAwMjE

—University City District

University City by the Numbers

• 22-24 median age
• 55,845 residents
• 5 colleges and universities
• 4 hospitals
• 64% of residents ages 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree or higher
• $395,000 median home sale price in 2019
• 179 homes sold in 2019
• 23 days average time residential property remained on market
• $1,495 average monthly rent
• 232 patents
• $1.85 billion in R&D funding
• $842,897,858 in NIH funding to UCD organizations
• 15% tree cover
• 20 mural arts projects
• $337 million value of real estate projects completed in 2019
• 931,000 square feet of development under construction
• 4,918,615 square feet of office space

A Successful Season For the University City District

January 6, 2021

Happy New Year! Before we turn our attention to 2021 and a hopeful return to signature UCD events, public space interventions, and much more, we’d like to take a moment and thank each and every person who helped support local small businesses, non-profits, and cultural institutions over the past few months.

Thanks to the generosity of our community and with the help of our West Philly Forward fundraising campaign, 27 businesses and organizations raised over $125,000 through individual GoFundMe pages and our neighborhood-wide fund. Starting this week, we will be sending out 100% of the funds we collected from the neighborhood fund to the participating businesses. Although our community fund has concluded, you may still donate to individual campaigns by clicking here.

Thank you, too, to everyone who supported small businesses by purchasing gift cards over the holiday season. We will announce the winners of our holiday promotion and send out gift card prizes by the end of the month. In the meantime, feel free to show additional support for participating businesses by purchasing gift cards or see who is open for takeout and delivery at www.ucdiningdays.com.

—University City District