St. Joseph’s sells University of the Sciences campus to Belmont, an education nonprofit led by Michael Karp
The nonprofit is led by Michael Karp, an owner of student housing in the area.
St. Joseph’s University announced Friday morning that it is selling 15 former University of the Sciences buildings to Belmont Neighborhood Educational Alliance, a nonprofit led by Michael Karp, an owner of student housing in the area.
Belmont operates a charter school network in Philadelphia.
“The buyer … has intentions for the property that align with our Jesuit mission,” St. Joseph’s said in an email sent to faculty and staff.
“Potential plans for the space include a new, affordable teachers college, which may help alleviate Philadelphia’s chronic shortage of well-qualified and experienced teachers,” the email reads, “as well as a potential new school emphasizing public service and leadership.”
St. Joe’s declined to share the sale price of the buildings.
“Belmont Charter Network is proud of our board chairman Michael Karp’s continuous commitment to the students within our network,” Jennifer Faustman, Belmont Charter Network’s CEO, said in an email statement. “We are optimistic about future collaboration with the Belmont Neighborhood Education Alliance and the opportunities that this space will provide to ensure the West Philadelphia campus remains a vibrant center for educational opportunity.”
Karp did not respond to a request for comment.
In 2021, St. Joe’s voted to merge with the financially struggling University of the Sciences in West Philadelphia. St. Joe’s at the time said it planned to keep both campuses but shortly later announced that it would move undergraduate programs and students to its main Hawk Hill campus in Philadelphia.
At the beginning of this year, St. Joe’s officially announced its intention to sell much of the former University of the Sciences campus while retaining some graduate and professional studies departments in West Philadelphia.
City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier took an interest in the sale, expressing hope that St. Joe’s would listen to community feedback about the future use of the sprawling site.
There were over a dozen neighborhood meetings with St. Joe’s about the future of the site, according to the university, which believes the Belmont sale accords with those conversations.
“That’s why we’re excited about what’s to come, [and the] organization that’s coming in,” said Joseph Kender, senior vice president for university relations. “There’ll be no zoning change. It’s going to be continued for educational use.”
In a news release Friday afternoon, Gauthier expressed disappointment in the sale.
“St. Joe’s chose a quick payout … ignoring years of work done by my office and the community by selling most of the campus to a group owned by Michael Karp, a student housing real estate mogul,” Gauthier said.
She said Belmont’s plans for the site are vague and appear to sideline neighborhood requests including affordable housing, a grocery store, and other amenities.
“By selling off a major part of their West Philly campus without any firm guarantees for its future use, it is clear that St. Joe’s only goal was to milk as much money out of our neighborhood as possible, without any consideration for those of us who live here,” her statement reads.
St. Joe’s declined to comment on Gauthier’s news release.
Kender noted that while St. Joe’s is divesting itself of much of the property, the university would retain a presence in West Philadelphia.
“We will continue to be an active member in the in the community,” Kender said. “We are still in the neighborhood, and a large portion of our students obviously still live there.”
St. Joe’s said that it is selling all the former USciences buildings below Woodland Avenue, but it intends to lease back the Integrated Professional Education Complex (IPEX) building, Woodland Hall, and Glasser Hall from Karp’s organization.
These buildings will continue to host St. Joe’s graduate health professions and pharmaceutical science programs.
St. Joseph’s also will maintain ownership of all the buildings north of Woodland Avenue. Those include Griffith Hall, which houses the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and Kline Hall, which serves as the Pharmacology and Toxicology Center. McNeil Graduate Study and Research Center and Whitecar Hall will remain in use as well.
This story was updated to correct the location of St. Joseph’s Hawk Hill campus.