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Developers are planning a new 34-story building close to Penn's campus
The building will include 236 individual apartments and 127 group living units
EVA NEE
Senior Reporter
Developers are planning a new 34-story building near Penn’s campus on Chestnut Street that will contain over 360 units for individual apartments and group living.
The building — which will be located at 3615 Chestnut Street — will have 363 units and be named The Mark at Philadelphia. Of the total units, 236 units will be used as individual apartments and 127 units will be used for group living. The building will also have 70 parking spaces and 96 bicycle stalls, Rising Real Estate reported.
The building will be constructed on what is currently a surface parking in the heart of University City. The building’s pedestrian entrance will be on Chestnut Street, and the parking entrance will be on Ludlow Street.
Made up of stacked stone and metal and precast panels, the exterior of The Mark will be composed of different shades of blue and gray. The neighboring buildings will include the existing Ralston House and a church.
According to Rising Real Estate, The Mark is using a low-income housing bonus to build an additional 250% in floor area ratio. No permit has yet been issued for the construction of the building.
The BKV Group and Landmark Properties are the architects and developers of the project, respectively. Landmark Properties is planning to construct a similar project to be completed in 2024, next to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Existing Mark properties also serve as student housing and are located in Arizona, Texas, and Georgia.
“The Mark is a luxurious student community designed for the ultimate offcampus living experience,” according to the The Landmark’s website. “With custom-designed furniture packages and first-class amenities, our residents are met with a high quality of life that is a mark above the rest.”
A 34-story tower has been planned to be built at 3615 Chestnut Street.
PHOTO BY JESSE ZHANG The new Campus Apartments project will require leveling two residential buildings already owned by Campus Apartments, including the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house.
RENDERING FROM BKV GROUP
Campus Apartments proposes new apartments, headquarters at 41st and Walnut
GABRIEL STEINBERG Contributing Reporter
Campus Apartments is planning to open a new headquarters building featuring 136 new residential units and office space at 41st and Walnut streets in 2026.
David Adelman, the CEO of Campus Apartments — which provides housing for many Penn students who live off campus — wrote in an emailed statement that the next steps for development will be entitlement and demolition, which is currently planned to begin in 2024. The project will require leveling two residential buildings already owned by Campus Apartments, including the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house.
When asked for comment on the development, Heidi Wunder, the assistant director for Communications of Facilities & Real Estate Services, directed The Daily Pennsylvanian to Campus Apartments.
While the details of the living space — such as the distribution of apartment types — have not been finalized, the building is planned to contain retail space and the company’s corporate headquarters, according to Adelman. Amenities will include fitness facilities and shared study spaces.
The living space will include studios as well as one-, two-, and three-bedroom units with a private bathroom per bedroom.
Chair of the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee Barry Grossbach told The Philadelphia Inquirer that “students are no longer interested in living with 10 other people in a house with two bathrooms.”
The project is not planning on using Philadelphia’s zoning bonuses that would exchange greater height and density in exchange for including more affordable housing and open space. The building will consist of a maximum of 162,000 square feet of space and be 10 to 11 stories tall.
Adelman, who is also involved in the proposed Philadelphia 76ers arena in Center City near Chinatown, told the Inquirer the company does not want the project to impact the townhomes located to the immediate south by taking on the zoning bonus. He added that Campus Apartments is very aware of its place in the community.
“Our headquarters have been in University City since 1958,” Adelman wrote. “We wanted to stay true to our Philadelphia roots and remain in the city, specifically the University City neighborhood.”
