In early February, on the campus of Drexel University, Gattuso Development Partners broke ground on what will be the largest life sciences building in Philadelphia when it’s completed in late 2024.
This $450 million, 11-story building, known by its address, 3201 Cuthbert Street, and designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), will encompass 519,647 sf of wet and dry labs, 11,708 sf of retail space, and underground parking with 137 slots. Drexel, which owns the land within Philadelphia’s University City research corridor, has preleased 60,000 sf in the building. Two-fifths of the building’s interior space is earmarked for academic purposes.
3201 Cuthbert Street is one of a spate of recent building projects, in various stages of development or completion on or near university campuses, that are 450,000 sf or larger. While no single factor drove their larger sizes, each of…