Partial construction permits have been issued for The Mark, a 34-story, 363-unit high-rise development proposed at 3615 Chestnut Street in University City, West Philadelphia. The 414-foot-tall tower will rise from a through-block lot extending from Chestnut Street to the south and Ludlow Street to the north. Designed by the BKV Group and developed by Landmark Properties, the building will span 415,849 square feet and will feature extensive amenity space and parking for 70 cars and 96 bicycles. The latest permit, which covers the construction of the core and shell for the tower, lists Landmark Urban Construction PA as the contractor and specifies a construction cost of $45.1 million, of which $100,000 is allocated toward plumbing work.
The Mark at 3615 Chestnut Street. Building rendering. Credit: BKV Group
The development is also known under its full address of 3615-35 Chestnut Street, which is used in the permits, and under the names of The Mark Philadelphia and The Mark at Philadelphia, both used interchangeably in various sources.
The Mark at 3615 Chestnut Street. Site diagram. Credit: BKV Group via the Civic Design Review
The Mark will rise just to the west of the historic Ralston House, a four-story structure designed by the Wilson Brothers, the engineering and architectural firm that designed the Reading Terminal. Ralston House was commissioned by the Indigent Widows and Single Women’s Society of Philadelphia, the nation’s first nonsectarian provider of housing and other care specifically for elderly and destitute women, and completed in 1886; the facility continues to operate senior care services to this day.
The 57,152-square-foot building and its adjoining grounds are included within the floor-to-area calculation for the development lot, which received a further 2.5 FAR increase (raising the total site FAR to 7.5) via an affordable housing bonus.
The Mark at 3615 Chestnut Street. Site conditions prior to redevelopment. Credit: BKV Group via the Civic Design Review
The Mark at 3615 Chestnut Street. Site plan. Credit: BKV Group via the Civic Design Review
The Mark at 3615 Chestnut Street. Ground level plan. Credit: BKV Group via the Civic Design Review
The Mark, marketed as off-campus student residences, will feature a total of 909 beds via 236 apartments and 127 group living units, which will range from studios to six-bedroom residences. Landmark Properties, the Georgia-based developer, specializes in developing and managing residential properties and boasts close to 100 residential communities with over 60,000 beds under its management nationwide.
The Mark is Landmark’s second development in University City, coming on the heels of The Standard At Philadelphia, a 209-foot-tall, 19-story, 280-unit residential tower recently completed at 119 South 31st Street. Landmark is also currently developing The Legacy on Broad, a 329-foot, 28-story-tall high-rise proposed at 1518-28 North Broad Street next to Temple University in North Philadelphia.
The Mark at 3615 Chestnut Street. Building rendering. Credit: BKV Group
Work is already underway at the site. The parking lot that previously spanned the property was fenced off around the start of the year; site clearance and excavation progressed over the course of the summer.
The Mark will offer a dramatic boost both to University City’s burgeoning skyline and to the neighborhood’s acute demand for student housing. We look forward to further development news on the project.
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I love all of development and University City in the last 4 years.. the building looks nice it’ll be a great addition
What I find desirable is the height will extend the skyline by distance from the Schuylkill River.
Why was the design changed from black sharp to a bland building and why was the height reduced?