Drexel University has confirmed that classroom space previously leased from Brandywine Realty Trust at 3020 Market Street will not be renewed. Best known as Lincoln Plaza, the building has long housed an assortment of Drexel classes due to a shortage of suitable spaces on campus.
The decision comes in light of a sharp decrease in freshmen enrollment, but amidst an increase in applications over last year, per an email from Interim President Denis O’Brien.
“Drexel regularly reviews and evaluates all of its leased space to ensure the space is needed. In this case, it was determined that Drexel no longer needed to lease the classrooms at Lincoln Plaza,” wrote Niki Gianakaris, vice president of Strategic Communications, via email.
Many Drexel students are acquainted with Lincoln Plaza during their first year, as classes like University 101, Civic Engagement 101 and low-level English and math courses were held there.
Online inquiries among students as to where Lincoln Plaza can be found date back at least seven years. While its bathrooms have been lauded, few students will miss the inconvenience of showing their ID and cramming into elevators to reach the leased space.
Lincoln University, the building’s namesake, is a Historically Black University located in Chester County, five miles north of the Maryland state line. The building houses its University City undergraduate and graduate campus, with programs like business administration and human services. Lincoln University was the de facto administrator of the Barnes Foundation before its move to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The opening of a new life sciences center at 3201 Cuthbert Street, formerly home to Buckley Field, will bring new College of Engineering classroom and lab spaces to our campus, possibly alleviating the need for Lincoln Plaza’s classrooms.
Per the university, the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute will continue to call Lincoln Plaza home until at least 2027, when its current lease ends.