495-space parking garage is planned for 41st and Market in University City
A new almost 500-space parking garage is University Place Associates’ latest development in this corner of West Philadelphia.
University Place Associates is planning a 495-spot parking garage for 17 N. 41st St. in West Philadelphia, including space on the first floor for vehicles associated with the new police forensics labs that will be housed in the company’s neighboring building, 3.0 University Place.
The parking garage, dubbed 5.0 University Place, is designed by Philadelphia-based ISA Architects. Both 3.0 and 5.0 are being developed in partnership with Silverstein Properties and Cantor Fitzgerald.
Much of the parking will be available for paid public use and is intended to support University Place Associates’ larger developments in the area, which include existing and planned office and life science buildings between 39th and 42nd on Market Street.
“With leasing at 3.0 University Place progressing, we’re excited to begin the 5.0 University Place Parking Garage,” said Anthony Maher, president of University Place Associates. “This project isn’t just about parking. It integrates green space, a community dog park, landscaped pedestrian areas, and a planned mural wall to deliver a more connected and welcoming experience.”
Many of these features will be on the north side of the structure, facing Powelton Avenue. The facade of the garage facing the dog park and community garden will sport the mural.
A zoning overlay was passed in June to allow the project. It was introduced by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who fought for the new forensic laboratory to be housed in University City.
The crime lab is planned for the developer’s 3.0 University Place building at 4101 Market St. Twenty-nine parking spaces on the ground floor of the new garage will be reserved for the city’s official use, or 10,400 square feet of the 165,950-square-foot building. An additional 100 parking spaces will be reserved for city employees.
The construction timeline wasn’t available, but the developers say they hope to act fast.
“It’s on a quick schedule because the city needs it,“ said Ron Patterson, a zoning lawyer with Klehr Harrison who represents the developer.
“On the first floor of the garage, there is going to be a separate entrance, separately secured, that the lab vehicles can use and be fenced off from the public,” he said.
The property at 17 N. 41st St. is currently a surface parking lot. The developers have been engaging with the West Powelton Saunders Park RCO, whose leadership not immediately available for an interview.
The urbanist political action group 5th Square critiqued the project, noting that this part of West Philadelphia is better served by transit than almost any other part of Philadelphia. Multiple high-frequency bus and trolley lines operate through the area, along with the Market Frankford subway-elevated train.
“This is one of the most transit-rich areas of the city, and we should be doing more to encourage walking and public transit, not creating dead zones of parking structures,” said Natasha Tabachnikoff, co-chair of 5th Square’s Housing Committee.
The group has opposed other large, proposed parking garages nearby, pointing to a 2023 Planning Commission report that only three-quarters of University City’s existing parking capacity currently is used.
“It’s not … what would help the area thrive,” said Tabachnikoff, who noted she lives a 15-minute walk from the site. “There is already vacant parking in University City.”
Critics have little recourse, as the new zoning overlay means the proposal will not face many regulatory hurdles. The proposed structure will be considered by the city’s advisory-only Civic Design Review committee on Sept. 2.
“We understand that some may see adding structured parking as unnecessary in a transit-rich area, but 5.0 University Place was carefully designed to meet the unique needs of Philadelphia’s rapidly growing life sciences ecosystem,” Maher said. “Our campus is bringing hundreds of new high-skill jobs and an influx of researchers and companies to University City, many of whom require specialized, secure parking options — including fleet, service, and visitor needs."