What is "Science Center"? Is it a private corporation, or part of Penn? Penn of course has tons of interest in building or leasing such labs..

I totally agree with you! Its so dead in that area at night and on the weekends. There is no diversity of uses in that area. It might as well be another parkway. I don't understand why people want to plan cities out so strictly trying to segregate uses of buildings to certain areas. Good urban planners know that mixed use areas are the ones that thrive.

I'm kind of surprised to hear that there is little demand for lab space. The Med school at penn has so little space left for research that they have expanded to the old EAP behind WXPN and I still think they need more space. They also rent out space at 3535 market and also at 3401 Market and other spaces too. Chop also rents space at 3535 Market. I was under the impression that all of the current buildings on market were at capacity. Maybe I am wrong but it seems to me this would be a likely area that the city would want to expand, science research, being that philly has such a huge medical community (pharm companies and medical schools and so on).

http://www.sciencecenter.org/

"The Science Center is home to more than 150 companies whose work spans the business cycle from applied research and development through commercialization and maturity...
The Science Center counts 30 academic institutions as shareholders. This unique support infrastructure includes for-profit and non-profit national and international organizations that are committed to the development of emerging technology and life sciences companies...
The Science Center connects scientists, entrepreneurs, growing companies, and international companies looking for a U.S. presence with the resources they need to accelerate their businesses. We play a unique role in the creation of wealth for growing companies and look forward to helping your company achieve the same success."

It's not really intended for institutional lab space. I guess it's more of a science business incubator complex. aside from access to the educational resources at penn, there's little incentive to stay in the city. if i'm not mistaken there's a life science hub in the western burbs, while the pharmies flock to jerzy. to make things worse, lab and R&D is planned for the postal lands and the navy yard. both sites should give the science center stiff competition.

btw...planners don't plan this city, politicians and developers do. sorry i took us off the original topic.

Great news! I cant wait to see the Skookill waterfront in 5-10 years.

These aren't dorms; they're market-rate housing/rentals. Students could presumably rent there if they wanted to, but it's not really University housing per se.

It is interesting to note that there was a minor flap here amongst the undergrads when the Left Bank opened. Some Daily Pennsylvanian writers went "undercover" to the LB asking to rent a place and were more or less told that the LB was not going to rent to Penn undergrads. Be interesting to see what kind of attitude the caretakers of this fancy new place take to a large number of undergrad inquiries.

yes, they're not dorms per se. but they are essentially serving the same purpose. they're as "on-campus" as the hill house, kings court, the grad towers, and others. they really are "privatized dorms." penn doesn't have or won't shell out the money to build another dorm cuz of the superblock renovations, so this is the next best thing. i guarantee you they'll be policed by campus security in the same way.

i think the property managers would ideally like to rent to law, med, and wharton students (and other grad students who can afford it), but i also think they would have no problem renting to undergrads.

Very true. Also this project has the potential to lure young well- to- do suburbanites/ main-liners into the city. The Hanover project should spur further development including condo development in University City. I can easily see the day where young professionals work in King of Prussia, Malvern and Cherry Hill and live in University City. In the near future I see UC has a haven for young/ educated people from up and down the northeast corridor. IMO, U.C.'s stock will be the highest of all neighborhoods in 20 years and thats saying a mouthful with all the development going on around town.

It's the saftey factor that Penn brings....ever walk around at 2 am in U City?...more cops that South Street.

U. City is on its way to being a real jem...now if Drexel could find some cash to help Powelton and Mantua (Penn covers all of West Philly in it's load program...but that's only for employees)

damn straight. drexel don't do sh|t!

Sorry if I don't share your enthusiasm for living in UC and working in K of P. that is not an ideal solution. the more people that do it, the harder it will be and most of the office space is transit unfriendly. there is no more important task to the city than encouraging job growth within city limits.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"