Penn moving forward with plan to purchase postal lands

While Penn has been working hard to revitalize the western end of campus, officials also say they are several steps closer to expanding in a new direction -- east. The University has made plans to acquire the United States Postal Service property to the east of Penn's campus, which is scheduled to become available in the next two or three years. The Postal Service currently uses the equivalent of four large city blocks for its regional headquarters, post office, parking and loading. Fourteen acres of land are located south of Walnut street. An additional nine acres -- including the 30th Street Post Office -- are located north of Walnut. This kind of space is hard to come by in urban Philadelphia, and the cost of purchasing the land will most likely be in the tens of millions of dollars. "We are very interested in acquiring some or all of the properties," Executive Vice President John Fry said. "We know we're close to making the deal at this point." "We're in discussions with the PostalService, the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University and other key parties," said Jack Shannon, the University's managing director of economic development. "All the parties recognize that there is a tremendous opportunity that exists along the Schuylkill River. We're very excited about working together to maximize this opportunity." For an urban campus pressed for space, these lands would be a very welcome addition. For the last 30 years, Penn has advanced slowly west, eventually stopping development at 40th Street. Officials promised the West Philadelphia community that the University would not expand any further westward than the 40th Street corridor. Drexel University lies to the north and health care facilities restrain Penn to the south, leaving the University only one direction to possibly expand -- toward the Schuylkill. "I think it's very clear that the future expansion of this campus lies to the east," Fry said. "There's no doubt about that. For those who fear a westward migration of Penn, this campus is heading east." The University hopes to use the land for "selective academic expansion, particularly for our engineering and sciences," Fry said. Bio-technology enterprises and "high-technology-oriented space" are also planned for the area, Shannon said. Retail and commercial ventures and possibly some "market-rate apartment units," will also share space on the property, according toShannon. The goal of the anticipated project is to "make the entire area feel like a new neighborhood for the city of Philadelphia," he said. "It will be a combination of additional academic and recreational space," Shannon said. The land will not become available until late 2003 or early 2004, when the Postal Service -- after more than 10 years of searching for a new location --will vacate the 30th Street spot to move closer to the Philadelphia International Airport. Construction and development will begin soon after the Postal Service leaves the property.

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