Penn and real estate company Greystar have closed on a redevelopment project to turn Sansom Place West into a new graduate student housing community slated to open in fall 2027.
The project, located at 3650 Chestnut St., will redevelop the existing Sansom Place West building and create 448 furnished apartments with 493 beds for graduate and professional students. Construction began in January and is expected to be completed in time for the 2027-28 academic year, according to a June 3 press release.
Sansom Place West sits within walking distance of several Penn graduate and professional schools, including the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, the Graduate School of Education, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Wharton School.
A request for comment was left with a University spokesperson.
The redevelopment marks the second phase of Penn’s effort to modernize graduate student housing at Sansom Place. It follows the redevelopment of Sansom Place East, now known as the Accolade on Chestnut, which opened in 2023. Together, the two projects will add more than 1,000 graduate student beds to Penn-affiliated housing in University City.
Sansom Place West closed at the end of the 2022-23 academic year, making Penn the only Ivy League university to not offer on-campus housing exclusively for graduate students. At the time, members of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly expressed frustration with the University’s communication about the change and alleged that they had not been given the chance to provide input.
Penn and Greystar also worked together on the Sansom Place East renovation, which came after student complaints about deteriorating conditions.
GAPSA President Adam Ziada declined to comment.
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According to University City District’s annual report, the redevelopment will replace the building’s existing residential units with approximately 400 studio apartments and 45 two-bedroom apartments. The project is expected to include new common areas and renovated outdoor amenities.
“As part of Penn’s priority reinvestment in its graduate student housing, the University is engaging a private developer and operator to create a moderately priced housing option primarily for graduate students through a ground lease,” the report stated.
The renovated property will feature private bathrooms for each resident and in-unit washers and dryers, according to the press release. With over 11,200 square feet of amenity space, the property will also include study spaces, co-working areas, and a fitness center.
“With its ideal location in the heart of campus and amenities designed around the needs of today’s students, the Sansom Place West redevelopment will provide modern, convenient housing that serves our graduate community well,” Vice President of Penn Business Services Michael Scales wrote in the release.
The redevelopment will preserve the building’s original architecture, which was built by Richard and Dion Neutra in 1970, rather than constructing a new facility, the release stated.
The press release describes the project as “the inaugural student housing investment of Greystar’s infrastructure platform.” The project is being developed in partnership with JLC, an investor backed by Magic Johnson Enterprises and Loop Capital.
According to the press release, this project is Greystar’s fifth development initiative in the Philadelphia region and its eighth student housing project launched nationally within the past year.
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Senior reporter Ananya Karthik covers central administration and can be reached at karthik@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies communication and economics. Follow her on X @ananyaakarthik.
