A large new project looks like it will soon be rising at 3400 Lancaster Ave., but multiple sources are reporting that the surrounding community has some concerns.

The corner today

Looking up 34th Street

Looking across Lancaster Ave.

According to University City Review, Drexel is planning a new mixed-use development for this corner, with dorm space for 1,200 undergrad and grad students, along with 20K sqft of retail space. The bulk of the building will only rise five stories, but a tower containing the residential units will stretch 24 stories into the air. Like nearby Chestnut Square, the developer will be American Campus, a company that has plenty of experience doing projects of this ilk.

Site plan. Thankfully, the 7-11 across the street isn't going anywhere

Powelton Village Civic Association represents the neighbors who live closest to Drexel University, and many of their constituents are worried that this project will have a negative impact on quality of life in their community. Residents are already not pleased that so many students have taken up residence in their neighborhood in recent years, but there appears to be a belief that this trend will only continue as Drexel continues to increase enrollment in the coming decades. And with this particular project, worries include reduced neighborhood parking and throngs of drunken students invading the surrounding area, loudly seeking out the next off-campus party.

Rendering of the project

View of the corner. Loitering students on the steps!

Another angle of the project

We won’t try to make the claim that this project is without risk for the surrounding community, but we see it more as a hedge against future student invasion. While some college students prefer the off-campus experience, many are forced to move because of a lack of on-campus beds. According to Drexel representatives interviewed by the UC Review, the influx of new students and new retail will strengthen the Lancaster Avenue corridor, improving foot traffic for current and future businesses. And while it’s true that Drexel is rapidly adding students, many don’t and won’t ever live on or near campus.

No one would argue that the current situation at this corner represents the highest and best use for the site. Hopefully, the execution of the project will go off without too many problems, and it will prove mutually beneficial for Drexel University, its students, and folks who live in the surrounding neighborhood.

Renderings and site plan come courtesy of Philly Shark.