Landmark Plans 28-Story Student Apartments in Philadelphia

A national student housing developer is planning to construct a 28-story apartment building for Temple University in Philadelphia.

Landmark Properties’ project at 1518-28 North Broad Street, opposite the Sullivan Progress Plaza Shopping Center, is expected to feature 142 multifamily units and 147 group-living units, totaling 868 beds, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Additionally, the development will provide 78 underground parking spaces, 21,000 square feet of retail space, and a public plaza around the entrance.

It will offer amenities such as a dog-washing station, a gym, study rooms, and a roof deck with a pool. The development will also include 100 spaces for bike parking.

At a recent neighborhood meeting, the community expressed support for the project, as it offers an opportunity to draw students away from residential areas dominated by row houses, potentially reducing issues related to student behavior and partying.

The university, which owns a ground lease on the land, sought a developer to concentrate more of the student population along Broad Street.

Georgia-based Landmark recently entered the Philadelphia market with projects like the Standard, a 19-story building with 280 units, and The Mark, a 34-story tower with 263 multifamily units and 127 group-living units.

While Landmark primarily targets student renters, their buildings are open to a mix of graduate students and nonstudents.

The new project is Landmark’s first venture into North Philadelphia.

The building’s design comprises an 11-story base that covers most of the lot, and a 28-story highrise that occupies two-thirds of the base. Outdoor amenities, including the pool, will be located on the remaining third of the base not supporting the highrise.

Other developers, like Bart Blatstein, have also expressed intentions to continue the multifamily building trend around Temple University, with plans for a 15-story, 245-unit apartment building at 1600 North Broad Street, near the Pearl movie theater.

— Ted Glanzer