Temple University plans to build a new residence hall near Broad and Norris streets in North Philadelphia and has issued a request for proposals for the project, writes Noah Zucker for BisNow.
“That will allow us, after that’s completed, to use that as swing space to take two of our residences and do a full renovation,” said Temple University President John Fry. “That should create a super block of housing.”
Fry aims to secure CRE backing to establish North Broad Street as the third corner of the “research triangle” in Philadelphia alongside University City and the Navy Yard. He also wants to prevent funds being directed toward low-rise, off-campus housing that Temple has prioritized in recent years.
“We just didn’t invest in our own housing stock,” he said. “We allowed students to live anywhere they wanted to with chaos everywhere.”
The unusual hours and sometimes careless management of rental properties by students often led to tension with established North Philadelphia community members, who endured loud parties, overturned vehicles, and other disruptions.
“Temple has to do its part to house more first- and second-year students,” said Fry. “We have plenty of space to do so.”
Read more about Temple University and John Fry’s plan to house more students on campus in BisNow.
______
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in December 2025.
