On November 9, 3675 Market—a 14-story, 343,465-sf office building with space for lab, clinical, educational, and retail tenants—will open within uCity Square, a 14-acre innovation center in Philadelphia that, over the next decade, plans to more than double its leasable space to 6.5 million sf across 11 city blocks, from 2.5 million sf today.
3675 Market “is the first step in a 10- to 12-year process,” says Steve Zarrilli, CEO of the Science Center, a nonprofit consortium of 31 university and private research entities that is one of the driving forces behind uCity Square. In 2015, the Science Center and Wexford Science + Technology formed a partnership to add 4 million sf to what was already available on Science Center's 17-acre legacy campus. That aggregate physical space was rebranded uCity Square.
Those assets currently include 3711 Market, a 154,845-sf building with offices and wet labs. The 14-story 3737 Market, which Wexford developed with the Science Center, has 334,000 sf of clinical, medical, wet lab and office spaces. It’s anchored by Penn Presbyterian Medical Center of UPenn’s Health System, and Spark Therapeutics, an offshoot of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. And the 28-story 3601 Market, created by Southern Land Co. and Redwood Capital Investment, includes 363 apartments and 15,600 sf of retail space.
Science Center is moving its headquarters into 3675 Market, where it will occupy 20,000 sf of office space. It will carve out another 5,000 sf specifically for First Hand, and educational initiative that combines STEM and the Arts. The west side of this building’s ground floor will offer 11,000 sf for retail space. Quorum, an entrepreneurial hangout that had been in 3711 Market, will triple its available space by occupying two stories and 15,000 sf in 3675 Market for meetings and conferences. The building’s anchor tenant will be Cambridge Innovation Center (a tenant at several other Wexford “Knowledge Communities”), which will lease 127,000 sf for offices and labs.
ZGF Architects designed 3675 Market, and Philadelphia-based Olin was its landscape architect.
The 14-story 3675 Market is the first of several commercial and residential buildings planned for uCity Square. Image: University City Science Center.
Joe Reagan, Wexford’s Vice President of Development, says that the development team is currently negotiating with an out-of-market pharmaceuticals company to take space in 3675. “The key is access to uCity’s university and research facilities,” says Reagan to explain the growing interest in uCity Square.
Right now, Philadelphia is a hotbed for innovation center development that includes Schuykill Yards, a 20-year $3.5 billion project to create a hub for technology and life sciences; and Penn Center for Innovation, which was created in 2014 and has facilitated at least 24 startup spinoffs.
Zarrilli doesn’t see all this development as competition so much as a “vibrant community that is creating opportunities for innovation.” Reagan adds: “We’re all trying to bring companies to Philadelphia.” Zarrilli notes, though, that while Life Sciences remains uCity Square’s primary emphasis, the innovation center is also wooing companies that specialize in what he calls “digital healthcare.”
uCity Square has several office, lab, and residential buildings in the works. The next building to open will be One uCity Square, a lab/office space whose features will include ground-floor visibility and a conference facility. Reagan and Zarrilli say that uCity’s buildings are being designed for flexibility; One uCity Square, for example, will range somewhere between 350,000 and 450,000 sf, and will have larger floor plates (between 30,000 and 35,000 sf) to create uninterrupted spaces for any type of research.
Another new building, currently in predevelopment, is 3700 Lancaster, a low-rise residential building at the northern edge of uCity Square that would offer 320 market-rate 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, 85 parking spaces, and 16,000 sf of ground floor retail space.
Related Stories
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Mixed-Use | Apr 7, 2023
New Nashville mixed-use high-rise features curved, stepped massing and wellness focus
Construction recently started on 5 City Blvd, a new 15-story office and mixed-use building in Nashville, Tenn. Located on a uniquely shaped site, the 730,000-sf structure features curved, stepped massing and amenities with a focus on wellness.
Affordable Housing | Mar 14, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that overcame building obstacles
These three developments faced certain obstacles during their building processes—from surrounding noise suppression to construction methodology.
Mixed-Use | Mar 11, 2023
Austin mixed-use development will provide two million sf of office, retail, and residential space
In Austin, Texas, the seven-building East Riverside Gateway complex will provide a mixed-use community next to the city’s planned Blue Line light rail, which will connect the Austin Bergstrom International Airport with downtown Austin. Planned and designed by Steinberg Hart, the development will include over 2 million sf of office, retail, and residential space, as well as amenities, such as a large park, that are intended to draw tech workers and young families.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 27, 2023
New 20,000-seat soccer stadium will anchor neighborhood development in Indianapolis
A new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven will be the centerpiece of a major neighborhood development in Indianapolis. The development will transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis by adding more than 600 apartments, 205,000 sf of office space, 197,000 sf for retail space and restaurants, parking garages, a hotel, and public plazas with green space.
Retail Centers | Feb 24, 2023
Santiago Calatrava unveils plans for a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany
Renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, along with the CENTRUM Group, has unveiled plans for Calatrava Boulevard, a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany. Running parallel to Königsallee and connecting with the Steinstrasse station, Calatrava Boulevard will incorporate and connect to the boulevard’s existing buildings.
Mixed-Use | Feb 23, 2023
7 mixed-use developments that don't sacrifice housing affordability
Here are seven mixed-use, multifamily projects dedicated to providing affordable housing.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 21, 2023
Watch: DBA Architects' Bryan Moore talks micro communities and the benefits of walkable neighborhoods
What is a micro-community? Where are they most prevalent? What’s the future for micro communities? These questions (and more) addressed by Bryan Moore, President and CEO of DBA Architects.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 16, 2023
Coastal Construction Group establishes an attainable multifamily housing division
Coastal Construction Group, one of the largest privately held construction companies in the Southeast, has announced a new division within their multifamily sector that will focus on the need for attainable housing in South Florida.