Completed work near the 3201 Cuthbert Street facility.
By Tony Bracali, University Architect
The events for America’s 250th anniversary, the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game are making for a big summer in Philadelphia. Many city and state agencies and local institutions opted to pause outdoor construction projects to avoid further complicating travel around the city and near Drexel University with road disruptions or detours and to avoid any logistics delays for the projects themselves.
On the University City Campus, this means that SEPTA work at the street level for the 34th Street station for the Metro L was paused, though below-grade work continues there. Similarly, the ongoing PennDOT work impacting John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Market Street has all been paused. Later this summer, work will resume in both of these areas.
After a pause, the Philadelphia Water Department has now begun work on a new, large stormwater infiltration tank in front of Bentley Hall. That work will displace the parking and disrupt traffic on Arch Street for a few weeks.
Here is an update on recently completed and ongoing projects on and around Drexel’s campuses.
3201 Cuthbert Street
The developer hosted a ribbon-cutting for the life sciences facility, 3201 Cuthbert Street, in May, but the planning to relocate the remaining College of Medicine operations from our Center City and Queen Lane campuses to the new space continues. This summer, construction of interior walls, utilities and services on all floors is proceeding as we plan for the relocation of various Drexel faculty and staff members into the building.
Academic Building Façade
A lot has changed as you walk or drive north on 33rd Street! The sidewalks around 3201 Cuthbert Street that had been closed and protected have all been re-opened. Additionally, after 18 months of work, the restoration of the Academic Building façade is finally complete, and the building looks great.
Renovations to the DAC's varsity weight room are completed.
Daskalakis Athletic Center (DAC) Weight Room
A project recently completed to renovate existing space and expand the DAC’s varsity weight room into space vacated by the former Pilates Studio, which was relocated to the first floor of Race Hal. Finishes and flooring upgrades were made in both spaces, and the weight room is now open for student-athletes to use.
Friel Field House
Drexel continues with finishes and interior upgrades at the Friel Field House at Vidas Athletic Complex. The men’s soccer locker room renovations will be complete later this summer. Finish and lighting upgrades to the hallways and public spaces are planned for later in the year.
Korman Data Center HVAC Upgrades
Two air handlers are being replaced in the basement of the Korman Center. This critical work is needed to keep the data center reliable and in safe working condition. Temporary cooling has been in place for some time, and the new units should be operational later this summer.
Mandell Theater Renovation
Several important upgrades to the theater are underway. New house lights, stair lights and lighting controls are being installed. The theater carpet is being replaced, and the fire protection systems and sprinkler systems are being upgraded. Attend a show there this coming fall semester, and you will see the results for yourself.
Rendering of the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing.
Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing Projects
In June, Drexel received an important gift from alumnus and trustee W. Nicholas “Nick” Howley ’75, his wife Lorie and their daughter Meg Howley ’10, through the Howley Foundation. Part of the $112 million gift is being used to fund two major capital projects for the newly named Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing. The former Firestone Building on Market Street will be converted into a student innovation space and club space, and a floor within the building at 3101 John F. Kennedy Blvd. will be renovated to house new, hands-on labs and teaching spaces. Drexel is moving ahead to retain an architecture and engineering team for both projects.
Relocations From 219 N. Broad St.
Drexel’s sale of 219 N. Broad St. required the relocation of a small number of clinical practices and departments. In June, departments were moved to a nearby Drexel-owned property at 1427 Vine St. — where work was recently completed to refresh the lobby and selected office floors — and to the Elkins Park Campus.
How to Get the Latest Facilities Updates
Construction, maintenance and utility updates: You can opt in to receive email notifications of construction work, scheduled utility shutoffs and other scheduled maintenance work being performed by Real Estate and Facilities by emailing listserv@lists.drexel.edu with only the following information in the body of the message: subscribe facilities-notices-L.
Bus service updates: For the latest information, real-time tracking and alerts, download Drexel Transit, powered by the TripShot app, for iOS or Android. On the Setup screen, enter “Drexel” as the Service Name and click Next. Select “Log in with Drexel Connect” and sign in with your Drexel user ID and password (the same credentials you use to access the DrexelOne portal).
Real Estate and Facilities website: Facilities Notices (shutoffs, outages, repairs, construction) are posted to a feed that appears on the homepage, and progress updates for major Drexel and partner projects on campus are posted on the Current Projects page.