Over the weekend, we were making our way back from West Philly when we noticed that the Cira Centre South has progressed mightily since we told you about its groundbreaking back in February. From grade at Chestnut Street, it’s now ten stories high. Obviously, it’s still got a long way to go ’til it’s topped off at 33 stories.

Looking down 30th Street

Closer look

A couple of weeks ago, Cira Centre South held an “open house,” according to this Craigslist post. Prospective tenants were welcomed to take a virtual tour to explore the apartments and amenities offered at this new building. The Craigslist post also tells us that rents are a little higher than we expected, with a 700 sqft one-bedroom unit starting at $1,550/month.

No matter the price, we don’t think that this building will have any trouble attracting tenants. True, there have been countless student housing developments that have been built in recent years, but those have, almost without exception, targeted undergrads. Cira Centre South, in targeting grad students, should position itself to garner an underserved population. And given its location, it will prove attractive to Penn, Drexel, and Temple students alike.

Project rendering

From a distance

Looking at the progress taking place on the Cira Centre South, it makes us wonder when developer Brandywine Realty Trust will break ground on the second phase of this project, a taller tower on Walnut Street. Looking forward to that almost as much as seeing the Chestnut Street building finished.