UCD to build Chestnut St. HQ

The building will also house a substation for the Philadelphia Police. Philadelphia Police officers and the University City District's yellow-uniformed safety ambassadors will soon have a more visible presence on campus and throughout the surrounding area. The two agencies will co-habit a partially renovated, partially new, one-story structure at 3940-42 Chestnut Street beginning next May, UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke said. Demolition of the western part of the building begins October 12, and construction is expected to begin by the end of the month. Based on per-foot estimates provided by Steinke, construction costs for the 10,000-square-foot building should total about $1.2 million. UCD officials hope the facility will allow its safety ambassadors to work more closely with the city police and be in a more central location. Officers from two Philadelphia Police districts will also work out of the sub-station. The new building is located near the Penn Division of Public Safety headquarters at 4040 Chestnut Street. The district is a year-old organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in University City while promoting it to other city and suburban residents. The University was one of the UCD's founding members and continues to be its largest supporter; Penn Executive Vice President John Fry has chaired the UCD since its inception. The new facility will house the UCD's 40 safety ambassadors, unarmed officers who patrol University City and assist pedestrians. The building will also house a substation for the Philadelphia Police Department. A lieutenant, two sergeants and 25 officers will report to the station. Officials hope the close proximity between the officers and ambassadors will increase their effectiveness. "It should help with the response time," said Philadelphia Police Lt. Gerard McShea, who will be the new substation's commanding officer. Currently, seven or eight police officers split two shifts patrolling the area between 40th and 50th streets. Once the substation opens, 25 officers will patrol the area using bicycles and park-and-walk strategies. Construction was delayed because of asbestos and an underground storage tank that needed to be taken care of, according to Steinke, who expects the work to proceed smoothly now. The building will have rooms for offices, lockers, roll call, police operations and the safety ambassadors. The roll call room will allow the officers and safety ambassadors to meet together twice a day. Currently, the two groups only have such an opportunity twice a week. The center is being funded through a no-interest loan by the University. The UCD will pay the building's operational costs and will repay the University through corporate and foundation funding that it will begin seeking this month. The location currently houses two buildings, one of which was formerly the Horn & Hardart restaurant, a popular chain in the 1970s. The former restaurant building will be retained and renovated, while the adjoining building at 3942 Chestnut Street will be demolished to make way for a one-story concrete and steel addition. The University owns the former restaurant's building and will rent it to the UCD for $1 each year. Both properties are currently unused.