Sansom Place East Redevelopment Underway
The University of Pennsylvania and Greystar Real Estate Partners announced their partnership in the mixed-use redevelopment of existing student housing at 3600 Chestnut Street. The project will provide 588 beds in 473 units of furnished, attainably priced, graduate-focused housing and a rich amenity base designed to serve the needs of today's Penn graduate students.
Greystar has teamed with Philadelphia-based Barton Partners Architecture and Hunter Roberts Construction Group to complete a comprehensive renovation and modernization of Sansom Place East, while maintaining the exterior design integrity. This approach will create best-in-class housing for Penn's graduate student population while maintaining Richard and Dion Neutra's original architecture. The redeveloped Sansom Place East will provide complete bed-to-bath parity, wherein each bed will have a corresponding private bathroom, including in the 2-bedroom units. Each of the 473 units will also have its own washer/dryer. Greystar will also be delivering more than 12,000 square feet of state-of-the-art amenity space including a fitness center, co-working lounges, a test kitchen, study rooms, and large multi-function rooms. Additionally, Greystar will fully renovate the existing outdoor plaza with a deck, landscape, hardscape, and seating, along with an indoor-outdoor connection to the new amenity space.
The existing building, built in 1970, was previously the only on-campus residence dedicated to graduate students. Ideally located, the redeveloped student housing will be only a block away from the Penn Law School; two blocks from both the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Education, and four blocks from the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Adjacent to Sansom Place East, the existing occupied commercial retail at street level and the Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art will remain open during construction. Construction began in January 2022, with an opening in time for the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year.