A new Target store that was intended to open on 37th and Chestnut streets as part of the Mason on Chestnut apartment complex will no longer open, a Target spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“We routinely assess our current projects and have made the decision to no longer pursue a store in this location," the spokesperson said. "We continue to operate 10 stores in Philadelphia."
The Philadelphia Historical Commission approved the addition to the Mason, a 14-story student apartment building, on July 8 of last year, Executive Director Jon Farnham previously wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian. Construction of the addition is nearing completion.
While the plans for a Target are canceled, the addition will still consist of retail space for an unconfirmed tenant, Alterra managing partner Leo Addimando told The Inquirer.
The Mason was recently renovated and was originally built in the 1960s. It was formerly known as International House and previously served as a University City hub for international students.
The building is currently owned by New York-based developer CSC Co-Living. After buying the property in 2020, CSC renovated all 409 apartments in the complex in coordination with Alterra Property Group.
Neither CSC Co-Living nor Alterra Property Group responded to requests for comment.
Project renderings show that the retail addition to the Mason will consist of a new building on the west side of the existing building. Construction of the new building is currently underway and began in October of 2022. An opening for the new Target was yet to be announced.
The building permit shows that the new building will cost $6.5 million and will take up 18,199 square feet.
Project plans state that the “design concept for the new addition is intended to contrast with the historic structure while also providing aesthetic continuity between the two buildings.”
According to The Inquirer, the new building has yet to secure a new tenant following Target’s departure and the reason for the cancellation is unknown.
Target previously closed a Center City location at 12th and Chestnut streets in May. The Rittenhouse Square location at 19th and Chestnut streets will remain the closest to Penn’s campus.
The construction is one of the current projects underway in University City. It joins the ongoing redevelopment of McDonald’s at 40th and Walnut streets into a new mixed-use office building. The new space will also occupy a prime location in a hub for life sciences and research.
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