SEPTA's 30th Street Station is not only receiving a new look – it's also getting a new name.
The station, which serves the Market-Frankford Line and several trolley and bus routes, soon will be known as Drexel Station at 30th Street.
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Drexel University purchased the naming rights to the station as part of a $3.5 million, 5-year deal, SEPTA public information manager John Golden said. The money will be added to the transit authority's operations budget.
SEPTA has renamed several stations in recent years under similar agreements. Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health and Wawa have each purchased the naming rights to the Regional Rail stations near them. The Broad Street Line's southern endpoint – NRG Station – has undergone two name changes.
"These naming rights agreements are great opportunities for SEPTA to enhance service to the communities we serve and generate much-needed new revenues," SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr. said.
The station has been undergoing renovations to add new elevators, upgrade lighting and update signage. The new name also will better distinguish the station from William H. Gray III 30th Street Station across the street, which serves as a stop for various Amtrak, Regional Rail and NJ Transit lines.
Talks between SEPTA and Drexel began at the beginning of 2020 – about the time renovations began, Golden said. The new signage will be in place when SEPTA holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the refurbished station in early 2024.
The revamped station will act as a gateway between Center City and University City. The $3.5 billion Schuylkill Yards project, which includes the Bulletin Building and Drexel Square, is taking shape nearby.
"As new educational, research and business development opportunities continue to grow in West Philadelphia, it is fitting for Drexel to welcome everyone to University City," Drexel President John Fry said.