The Mason on Chestnut is an off-campus residence at 37th and Chestnut streets.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiAs the Mason on Chestnut, an off-campus residence near Penn’s campus, faces another round of city code violations, its owners allege the building will be converted into a homeless shelter — a plan city officials say they were unaware of.
According to a Jan. 15 notice from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections, the Mason received 19 code violations after a Jan. 13 inspection of the property, bringing the total number of violations in the building’s history to 131. The citations are the latest in a long series of problems the property has faced in recent months, including a flood on June 10, 2024 and a subsequent Cease Operations Order a day later.
The most recent citations include unmaintained fire alarm systems, combustible materials stored underneath bleachers in the gym, and fire extinguishers that were improperly mounted throughout the property. The Department of Licenses and Inspections wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that the building has until Feb. 14 to appeal or correct the violations.
A spokesperson for CSC — the development company that currently owns the Mason — told the DP that the property is addressing code noncompliance issues “one by one.”
In addition to CSC’s alleged plans to convert the Mason into a homeless shelter, the group also announced plans in June 2024 to construct a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility on the lot directly behind the Mason. Current plans for the building include a total bed count between 150 and 250, though the number is not finalized. The status of the drug rehab center remains unknown.
“This is a critical step in addressing Philadelphia’s homelessness crisis, providing long-term, stable housing and essential support services for those in need,” the CSC spokesperson said about plans for the homeless shelter. “This project is not just about shelter — it’s about restoring dignity, rebuilding lives, and setting a new national standard for urban redevelopment and social impact. This project will transform University City into a saving grace for the entire city of Philadelphia at once.”
The Department of Licenses and Inspections said it was “unable to confirm” the plans for the homeless shelter and the Philadelphia Housing Authority — which CSC said the Mason was partnering with — wrote in a statement to the DP that the PHA “is not involved in this development.”
The City of Philadelphia also wrote to the DP that it “[doesn’t] have any information” on the plans.
“We understand that some current residents may have concerns about how this conversion will affect them,” the CSC spokesperson wrote. “We are committed to ensuring a structured and well-planned transition process. No one will be displaced without an alternative solution in place, and we are actively working with housing agencies and community partners to provide relocation assistance and support.”
This summer, following an eight-day shutdown after a Cease Operations Order, CSC founder Sal Smeke wrote to the DP that “[CSC’s] only focus right now is the drug and alcohol tower, which we are breaking ground [on] at the end of the year and spending over $300 million building it.”
However, these potential plans come as residents of the Mason voice concerns about tenant safety, building mismanagement, and lease security — and amid claims that the building has between 15 and 40 current residents despite being zoned for over 400 units.
CSC declined to provide clarification on the residents’ allegations.
A spokesperson for Redstone Residential — the building’s most recent management company — wrote in a statement to the DP that they no longer manage the Mason and “officially parted ways” with CSC in November 2024.
“Many of the specific concerns you referenced occurred outside of our management period or involved operational decisions made at the ownership level. As such, we are unable to provide direct responses to these,” the spokesperson wrote.
A request for comment was left with Philadelphia management company Madison Parke, which — according to a former resident — now manages the property.
The Mason flooded in June 2024, forcing residents to evacuate the building. A May 29, 2024 email exchange between a Mason maintenance staff member and the regional property manager shows the manager was warned that the water system for heating and cooling in the building was “one of the main structural issues that the building has.” The staff member stated years of use “causes the pipes to break, fracture, and burst.”
According to former Mason resident Joshua Kulda, the building’s management disregarded the messages.
Another former resident of the Mason, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, echoed the safety concerns. She said her bathroom lock was broken for months and, as a result, her personal belongings were stolen.
The same former resident said the Wi-Fi on her floor went out, which factored into her decision to move. As a Penn Ph.D. student, she said she needed access to the internet to be able to complete her work.
Katherine Dow, a current resident of the Mason, said she was recently told by the building that she needed to move units because of mold on a floor she did not live on. Dow said she has had ongoing arguments with the property and management as a result.
“It’s not good here,” Dow said. “I suffer from anxiety. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m in fear of me coming home one day, and my pod door’s open, and all my stuff is upstairs on the 13th floor.”
Dow also reported negative verbal altercations with management as well as tenants struggling to get their security deposits back. Kulda reported similar tenant issues with security deposits.
Kulda claimed that he received a cease and desist order in May 2024 from a lawyer on behalf of the Mason for emailing and distributing statements to fellow tenants about their rights and leaving a negative Google review.
The order accused Kulda of “embark[ing] on a defamatory campaign” against the Mason, engaging in “inaccurate” and “irresponsible” activities, and his “public accusations” were “blatantly untrue.”
Kulda said that his actions were “born out of a genuine concern for the well-being and legal rights” of the tenants of the Mason and that nothing he said was inaccurate. He said he “categorically den[ies] any intent to defame” the building or its management.
Kulda received a notice of nonrenewal dated Aug. 22, 2024, which cited “harassing employees and other residents, interfering with Landlord’s contractual relationships with other residents by urging them to not pay rent and sue Landlord, and defaming the Landlord on various online avenues with harmful and untrue reviews.” It also accused him of withholding $3,333 in rent. The notice required Kulda to move out on or before Sept. 30, 2024.
Kulda, in response, filed a complaint with the Fair Housing Commission, stating he had withheld his rent due to the Mason not responding to repeated verbal and written notices about downed elevators, locked fire doors, and issues with water pressure and temperature, citing failed and open Department of Licenses and Inspections reports.
Ultimately, Kulda said that he and the Mason reached a legal agreement. He withdrew his complaint and voluntarily moved out.
“They are not hands on,” Kulda alleged of the building management. “They look, they direct, and the people they direct do whatever they’re paid to do.”
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