The Left Bank1 of 8The Left Bank1 of 8
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Penn Facilities4 of 8
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World Café Live6 of 8
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Urban Transformation
CASE STUDY:
Public/Private Partnerships
A public-private partnership that sparked a renaissance.
The University of Pennsylvania selected Dranoff Properties as its partner to carry out the dramatic conversion of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Depot building and the adjacent Hajoca building. Both buildings were vacant and symbols of blight at the entrance to the University of Pennsylvania’s campus.
The powerful public-private partnership resulted in the transformation of an area previously referred to as ‘the postal lands’ into one of the City’s most vibrant residential, commercial and entertainment districts. The historic redevelopment of The Left Bank and WXPN’s World Café Live sparked a renaissance in West Philadelphia.
The Left Bank is one of the largest properties on the National Register of Historic Places ever converted to residential use. In addition to its 282 spectacular luxury loft apartments, The Left Bank is home to dynamic retail and Penn Children’s Center, a licensed day care operated by the University.
The Hajoca building, a former plumbing supply warehouse, is now home to nationally acclaimed radio station WXPN and World Café Live, Philadelphia’s premier club for the music community. World Café Live has attracted bustling nighttime foot traffic and helped create over 100 new jobs in a once-deserted urban corridor.
Each property has proven to be a powerful magnet for the adjoining campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University to attract top students and quality faculty.