Over the past few years in University City there have been almost as many new major development projects as new freshman classes. From the new Drexel business school, a new gateway to University City, the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology, to hotels and additional new proposed Drexel development at 34th and Lancaster Avenue, the area is undergoing change that will mean a new face for the cityscape west of the Schuylkill.

It’s the kind of change that might cause students who attended school in University City in years past to say, “wish that was here when I was around.”

As if it wanted to join in on the development dance Penn and Drexel have been choreographing the past few years, the University City Science Center broke ground on construction of an 11-story tower at 3737 Market Street in late September.

Construction site

When finished, the building, a joint venture between the Science Center and Wexford Science & Technology, will mostly contain an expansion for Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, which is based across the street. Expected to be finished by mid-2014, the site will add 150K sq ft of outpatient and surgical care to Presbyterian’s capabilities. It will house nearly 110 exam rooms, six outpatient operating rooms, and an outpatient radiology center. In addition, the building will host Good Shepherd Penn Partners, and almost 90K sq ft of space for the Science Center and Wexford. The 273K sqft structure will also include ground-floor retail and office space for growing companies and seek to revitalize a 38th and Market Street surrounding area.

With Penn Presbyterian in the background

Another development opportunity across the street, at 3800 Market

Penn Presbyterian’s executive director Michele Volpe said the expansion would improve the care its doctors and staff provide to patients. For sure, these developments are yet another an indication of long-term investment in West Philly, north of Market Street.

–Lou Mancinelli