In just a few months, a new school will debut on campus, but it won't be part of the University.
The Jean Madeline Salon and Aveda Institute will be opening in late February at the Hub apartment complex, located at 40th and Chestnut streets.
The institute - which trains individuals for professional service in hair, nails, skin and body - will occupy the first floor of the building and will include a store for Aveda beauty products.
At 12,500 square feet, the salon will take up half of the site's entire retail space.
Currently, the salon is the only business slated to occupy the Hub's retail section, which includes the building's first and second floors.
Robert Hoe, the contractor for the site, said he hopes to know soon which businesses will lease the rest of the space.
"We're close to a couple of offers," Hoe said. "We hope to nail down the rest by the end of this year."
This location is not the institute's first in the city; there are two others in South and Northeast Philadelphia.
And, according to Jean Madeline owner Sam Lehman, the plan to open the Institute has been in the works for a while.
"We've known since - when, years ago? We had a salon called Metro at 34th and Walnut - that it's a good thing for the campus to have the school," Lehman said.
Betsy West, director of the Jean Madeline Aveda Institute, echoed that the salon has long been searching for a location near Penn, adding that a recent trend in the salon industry has been to open locations on college campuses.
She also said having Penn students as clients would help instruction.
"Our students really enjoy working on young people their own age," West said, "because [Penn students] are more adventurous, more daring, more fun - so it's a great opportunity."
But the trainees will not be the only ones getting something out of the deal. Services provided at the salon are offered at a reduced cost because they are performed by students.
Engineering sophomore Lavanya Madhusudan said that she had her hair cut at the institute's location at Third and Bainbridge streets, and that she was pleased with the results.
"I've only been once, but I thought it was excellent," Madhusudan said. "And they said they get a lot of Penn students."
She added that she would definitely visit the location at 40th and Chestnut streets as well.
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