The dramatic makeover of Drexel’s campus, which is already being reshaped with the construction of the LeBow College of Business building and the new Chestnut Square student housing development, will continue this summer—this time, with a focus on open space.
With a $5 million gift from the Raymond and Ruth Perelman Education Foundation, Drexel will reimagine the center of its campus along the former 32nd Street between Chestnut and Market streets, creating a new hub of activity that will be called the Raymond G. Perelman Plaza.
“The highest and best use of open outdoor space is critical to a vibrant urban university campus,” said Drexel President John A. Fry. “I envision a day very soon when Perelman Plaza will be a destination for all members of our community almost every day, and the rest of our transformed campus and neighborhood will radiate out from its hub.”
Plans for Perelman Plaza will be complete in the spring, with construction beginning in the summer. The new plaza will feature an improved flow of pedestrian traffic, well-planned seating and increased shade and natural beauty. In time, surrounding ground-level spaces will be renovated to open seamlessly onto the plaza. And the design will integrate sustainable stormwater management and rainwater usage.