September 22, 2023
Source/Cube 3 Studio LLC
A rendering shows Landmark Properties' proposed 28-story tower at 1518-28 N. Broad St., just south of Temple University's campus. It would include 289 units for student housing.
A proposed 28-story tower just south of Temple University would add nearly 300 units of student housing and 20,000 square feet of commercial space.
The proposal at 1518-28 N. Broad St. comes from Landmark Properties, one of the nation's largest builders of student housing. The site is between Jefferson and Oxford streets, across from the Fresh Grocer supermarket at the Sullivan Produce Plaza.
The mixed-use tower would have 289 units, including a mix of multifamily and group living dwellings that combine for 868 total beds. The commercial space would be located on the ground floor along North Broad Street. At the corner of North Broad and Oxford Streets, there would be an outdoor area that leads to the main residential lobby.
Landmark Properties has developed a number of student-housing projects for Penn State University students in State College in recent years. The developer also proposed a 34-story high-rise in University City last year that would serve students at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania.
There have been a number of new residential buildings constructed near Temple in recent years, but the proposal from Landmark Properties would boost student-housing options for those who want to live in the immediate vicinity of campus.
A rendering of the proposed mixed-use toward at 1518-28 North Broad Street
Temple has struggled with public safety issues in the areas surrounding its campus. In recent years, there have been a number of home invasions, robberies and more serious crimes, including an attempted carjacking that resulted in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old senior Samuel Collington in December 2021. Last month, Temple debuted a new safety app that has a one-touch button to alert police to emergencies.
To address concerns about campus safety, Temple also created the Best Nest program that lets students search for housing options that meet standards set by the university. These criteria cover safety and quality of life issues, like noise and trash collection. The program operates within the university's patrol zone, which runs east-to-west between Ninth and 18th streets, and north-to-south between Susquehanna and Jefferson avenues.
The United Neighbors Alliance Civic Association, a community group that recently participated in a neighborhood meeting about the project, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Temple owns the land where the new tower is proposed and had put out a request for bids for the property, ultimately choosing Landmark's plan. The developer could not be reached Friday afternoon.
Amenities for the building include bicycle storage, fitness space, study rooms, lounges and a roof deck with a pool. The proposal also includes an underground parking garage for residential tenants and retail employees. Loading and trash collection would be located in the back of the building along North Carlisle Street.
In July, another 15-story story tower was proposed just to the north at 1600 N. Broad St. That project, led by developer Bart Blatstein's Tower Investments, would include 245 units and would replace a parking lot on city-owned land behind the AMC movie theater at the corner of Broad and Oxford streets.
The proposal from Landmark Properties, called the Legacy on Broad, has been submitted for recommendations to Philadelphia's Civic Design Review panel.
