Matheson Hall being torn down for new 12 story LeBow building

**BenDee** · 10-19-2011, 02:58 PM

Dramatic Demolition at 31st and Market Sts. Portends New Drexel Building | NakedPhilly

Demolition is expected to be completed in the coming months, and then a new building will be built for Drexel’s LeBow School of Business. The new 177.5K sqft structure will rise twelve stories and cost about $92M to build. It’s expected to be completed in 2014, and will house classroom space, study space, event space, an auditorium, and an Entrepreneurship Center.

Looks sweet, especially given what it is replacing. I love the various UCity architecture that has been popping up the past several years.

**lewblum** · 10-19-2011, 09:44 PM

University City just keeps on booming! It's quite amazing.

Drexel's also in the approval process for the new student housing one block south on Chestnut Street.

And Science Center just presented a new tower to the Planning Commission yesterday for 3400 Market. Granted it's design is befuddling, but this kind of stuff is bound to spur lots of private development in West Philly.

I would really like to see more residential development along Market St to help liven it up a little.

**mixiboi** · 10-20-2011, 12:41 AM

Drexel is really tying to take back Market St, which is good for that area...Now if they can get that Hotel built at 30th and Market...

**onlyone** · 10-25-2011, 06:18 AM

No ground-level retail that I can tell. Really a missed opportunity given the dead zone that is Market St at night, and the huge impact that even one restaurant has made (MidAtlantic).

**DocAwesome** · 10-25-2011, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by onlyone

No ground-level retail that I can tell. Really a missed opportunity given the dead zone that is Market St at night, and the huge impact that even one restaurant has made (MidAtlantic).

Well, those are classrooms, not a shopping plaza. It would make sense that there were classrooms on ground level. Not to say they coudn't hypothetically incorporate retail there, but the purpose of the building is for learning and teaching, not providing students with noise and loading zones. MidAtlantic is pretty far west within what is more like an office building, and Americana (more apt comparison imo) is in the Gym, which is more logical. Though, they did incorporate Starbucks into pearlstein (maybe 7 years old). Drexel is already loading it up with retail closer to the majority of the dorms, and it can't be everywhere.

**Poweltonian** · 10-25-2011, 09:51 AM

Here are some floorplans and additional renderings: About the New LeBow College of Business Building | New LeBow Building

You are correct that there is no retail component on this building, although it will be open/visible to the street.

The new Chestnut Street mixed use development on the 3200 block of Chestnut is going to have a major retail component.

**kidphilly** · 10-25-2011, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by mixiboi

Drexel is really tying to take back Market St, which is good for that area...Now if they can get that Hotel built at 30th and Market...

Overall the building looks like an improvement retail or not.

What is the hotel at 30th and Market? Seems like a great location actually with U City, CC and 30th Street etc. This type of building could also have retail/restaurants more easily incorporated than would a classroom building

**Moonraker** · 10-25-2011, 10:12 AM

While Penn is heavily into first floor retail, and DU did do the same at 34th & Market, some of their newer buildings have intra-retail space, such as coffee shops.

OTHER - Not to pick on DU explicitly, but in recent times Drexel has built a lot of houseing. Fossils that I and other alum who commuted are, we find it sad that a university must market to fill the dorms which were built because of some forecast. We, the few, adhere to the philosophy of going to the best school your parents can afford, while leaving some money for your sibbling's education. The cost of boarding is best applied to a graduate education, or dual major.

There was a time when the enrollment was met by the sons and daughters of alumni. Relocation of alum from the Delaware Valley Region resulted in the needs of many to board rather than commute. But many life-long friendships have roots to car pools in third hand clunkers. I guess times they are a changing.

**DocAwesome** · 10-25-2011, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by kidphilly

What is the hotel at 30th and Market? Seems like a great location actually with U City, CC and 30th Street etc.

Link

Note that this has been floating around for years and years in different incarnations.

**mixiboi** · 10-25-2011, 03:36 PM

Seeing that Drexel just bought the whole of JFK from 30th to 32nd st, I think that is going to become Drexel's retail strip into their campus then Market.

**kidphilly** · 10-25-2011, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by mixiboi

Seeing that Drexel just bought the whole of JFK from 30th to 32nd st, I think that is going to become Drexel's retail strip into their campus then Market.

Is there a parking garage on top of 30th street station it looks so from the image

edit nope answered my won question one block over

So would this be the lot for the hotel among other things. This also seems like a great location for commercial

**mixiboi** · 10-26-2011, 02:05 AM

The Blue is the future Hotel Spot, the Red is the commercial/Housing spot, and the yellow spot if the future LeBow School of Business.

**Poweltonian** · 10-26-2011, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by mixiboi

The Blue is the future Hotel Spot, the Red is the commercial/Housing spot, and the yellow spot if the future LeBow School of Business.

Not to mention that the longterm plan is for Drexel to redevelop the Bulletin Building/PPA block once the parking authority's lease expires. In 15 years, the area between 30th Street and 32nd Street is going to be unrecognizable. And that's a good thing given how underutilized that land is currently. Drexel is releasing their new Master Plan at the end of the year. For anyone interested, some tidbits can be found at drexelmasterplan | The Drexel University Master Plan

**NickFromGtown** · 10-26-2011, 03:06 PM

The sooner that these orange brick atrocities are ripped down, the better. It would be nice if Drexel had a unified ARCHITECTURAL plan though. Their designs are seemingly random.

Is there any way to build over Amtrak's rail yard? Seems like a good way to not only make that area more pleasing the to eye, but also a good way to give Drexel a place to expand to. A lot of the trains now are electrified, so it seems like it could work.

**the_wza** · 11-02-2011, 10:34 AM

I'm sure this will be another great development for the area but after seeing all the infrastructure in that building that could have been salvaged, or even scrapped I can't help but shake my head at the amount of waste a job like this creates. There were still chairs in the building for crying out loud! For shame Greenworks. For shame Philly. Not very green of you.

**kidphilly** · 11-02-2011, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by NickFromGtown

The sooner that these orange brick atrocities are ripped down, the better. It would be nice if Drexel had a unified ARCHITECTURAL plan though. Their designs are seemingly random.

Is there any way to build over Amtrak's rail yard? Seems like a good way to not only make that area more pleasing the to eye, but also a good way to give Drexel a place to expand to. A lot of the trains now are electrified, so it seems like it could work.

Have seen this pipe dream but relistically something can be done. DC is currently building a 10 million sq ft complex over the air rights leading into Union Station

Amtrak Philadelphia Rail Yards Redevelopment: BLT Architects | Flickr - Photo Sharing!