Construction on Hillel building to begin soon

Construction is scheduled to begin imminently on the long-delayed Steinhardt Hall -- the future home of Penn Hillel.

The 35,000-square-foot building, which will be located on a University-owned site on 39th Street between Locust and Walnut streets, will house the administrative offices of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, as well as those of Hillel's twenty-five student organizations. It will also include a Judaic library, a 300-seat sanctuary, a student activities center, a living room and a study lounge.

"It's going to be beautiful and functional," said Rabbi Howard Alpert, the executive director of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia. "We hope that it will be utilized by the entire community."

Steinhardt Hall will also be home to the Kosher Dining Commons for University Dining, replacing Irv's Place, which is currently located at 4051 Irving Street.

Alpert said the building should be complete in time for the Fall 2003 semester, when it will serve as a gathering place for Penn's approximately 6,000 Jewish students, as well as other members of the University community.

Although the actual construction has not yet begun, the construction wall was erected at the site earlier this week, and Alpert said work "will begin imminently."

Steinhardt Hall was designed by Jacobs/Wyper Architects of Philadelphia, and its construction will be overseen by R.M. Shoemaker Co. and The Staubach Company. The project will be financed by Commonwealth Bank.

The current Hillel building, the Korman Hillel Foundation, has been sold to the University. Located on 36th Street,ÿit has been the center of Penn's Jewish community since 1946, but is not large enough to accommodate all of the organization's needs. The building was most recently expanded in 1982.

The new building's name comes from Judy and Michael Steinhardt, who donated the $2.5 million naming gift for its construction.

Hillel members and administrators, joined by University President Judith Rodin, the Steinhardts and guests, celebrated plans for the new building with a ground-breaking ceremony in October, but since then, little visible progress has been made.

Alpert said that at this point, $9 million out of the needed $12 million has been raised from a variety of donors. He added that fundraising efforts will continue during construction.

Since the project was first announced in the summer of 1999, it has faced several serious financial challenges.

As of last May, nearly a year after construction was originally scheduled to begin, only 50 percent of the total funds for the building had been raised.

The Steinhardts' contribution, which was offered in May, removed some of the financial obstacles and fueled plans for the project.

There was also some concern about the location of the building when it was first announced in February of last year. At that time, members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity were reportedly unhappy about losing the parking lot that they shared with the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Alpert did not point to any specific reasons for the further delays in beginning construction this year, but commented that the process of gathering funds and securing plans "always takes longer than expected."

"It involves a complex business deal with the University," he said.

But at this point, officials are optimistic about the construction process.

"This is an exciting milestone for both the Penn Hillel and for the entire University community," Alpert said in a press release, and spoke of the "support and vision" of both Rodin and Steinhardt, as well as of project Chairman Edwin Berkowitz and vice-chairmen Albert Perlstein and Stuart Rudoler.

Penn Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin agreed with Alpert's assessment.

"Everything is together," Brochin said. "We're in good shape."

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