Wednesday, January 27, 2016

New residential project in the CBD is nearing prime time



One of the largest residential projects to be constructed along West Market Street in Philadelphia’s Central Business District is almost ready for renters to move in.

Called 1919 Market for its address, the 455,000-square-foot building has 321 apartments along with 24,000 square feet of retail space that is fully leased to CVS, Naf Naf Grill as well as


The tower joins a budding residential scene along the far edges of West Market Street that had its seeds planted back in 2002 when Thomas Properties Group Inc. formed a partnership with PMC Property Group to convert an old factory at 2121 Market St. into 168 apartments. The units quickly leased up and helped to establish a nascent market for housing along what had long been Philadelphia's main office corridors. Until then, it had been uncharted territory for residential development.

Though 2121 Market was an early success, it wasn’t as if all of a sudden residential development took off in that part of town. In fact, it has plodded along ever since.

In 2005, Thomas Properties made a go at constructing the Murano, a 42-story tower with 302 condominiums. That project got caught in the housing downturn and units had to be auctioned off.

Around the same time developer John Turchi converted a former AAA Mid-Atlantic garage at 23rd and Market streets into condos and later PMC Property converted the AAA headquarters at 2040 Market St. into 282 apartments.

More residential projects could eventually come on the scene after a series of properties traded last year that are prime development sites.

The building at 1919 Market is being constructed by Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN), a Radnor, Pa., real estate investment trust, and LCOR, of Berwyn, Pa. Brandywine formed a joint venture in the fall of 2014 with a partnership consisting of LCOR and the California State Teacher’s Retirement System to construct the 29-story tower. It is expected to be completed by this spring with renters beginning to move in March.

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