Wachovia, restaurants to come to Domus

You may soon be asking for that coffee with a doubleshot of Chestnut.

The Hanover Company, which owns the Domus luxury apartment complex on 34th and Chestnut streets, is currently in talks with several companies to fill the building's retail component.

Wachovia Bank is slated to occupy a 5,000 square-foot space on the first floor, and Hanover is also looking to bring in two restaurants, a coffee shop and a sporting goods store, said Andi Pesacov, the real estate broker hired by Hanover.

Pesacov would not confirm the specific companies that will fill the remaining 20,000 square feet of retail space because leases had not been finalized, though sources say that a Starbucks Coffee is expected to be one of the complex's other stores.

Pesacov added that no local retailers will fill the space, which is being rented at the more expensive rate of $100 per square foot.

Normally, University City retail space is rented at $55 per square foot, Pesacov said.

"All of our retail [stores] are upscale," she said. "Every tenant is well-known and has locations throughout the country."

Hanover and Penn officials are both hoping to breathe new life into Chestnut Street and extend commerce from Walnut Street.

"We think it's going to add more variety to the [current] retail offerings and increase activity on the street," said Ed Datz, Penn's executive director of real estate.

The addition of more-expensive retailers to the complex should come as no surprise, as the Domus apartment building has consistently been advertised as luxury housing for graduate students, faculty and staff.

"We brought high-end to University City," Pesacov said. "The retailers are adding to their concepts because [Domus] is so unique. They're stepping it up."

Though Domus is not officially a Penn project, students were still a main consideration when selecting businesses for the building.

"All of the retailers are geared towards the students," said Pesacov. "Higher-end meaning we didn't put in a McDolands - it's still geared to the University City community."

Dennis Oppenheim, sculptor of Domus' "Wave Forms" public-art sculpture, believes that the retail locations will complement his sculpture, which will stand in front of the apartment building.

It will "be a nice place for students to have coffee," he said.

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