Brandywine Realty Trust has a new plan to open a food hall inside the former Philadelphia Bulletin building in University City after a deal to create a similar dining spot, announced two years ago, never materialized.
The new name for the project is Gather Food Hall. It is expected to open this fall and will have six local eateries and a bar inside the first floor of the renovated building at 3025 Market St., across from 30th Street Station. The Bulletin Building, part of Brandywine's Schuylkill Yards development, houses lab and office spaces for life sciences companies on its upper floors.
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Brandywine originally had partnered with Urbanspace to operate the food hall. The New York-based business had locations in a handful of cities. The projected fall 2023 opening for the project with Urbanspace came and went without any signs of progress at the Bulletin Building, and Urbanspace was later acquired by a new owner aiming to revamp its existing food halls.
"The partnership with Urbanspace was impacted by the pandemic, which prompted significant changes in their business model and ultimately led to their withdrawal from the project," Jerry Sweeney, CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust, said Friday.
The 13,000-square-foot Gather Food Hall will be led by New York chef and restaurateur Akhtar Nawab, whose Hospitality HQ is a consultant for food halls in Brooklyn, Charlotte, Salt Lake City and other locations. Nawab's standalone restaurants include Brooklyn's Mexican spot Alta Calidad and Philly's Patchwork Restaurant & Bar at the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Rittenhouse
Brandywine said the six vendors at the food hall will serve a mix of global flavors. Among those involved in the planning is Federal Donuts & Chicken CEO Jeff Benjamin, who also is a managing partner at Philadelphia-based Food & Beverage Advisory.
In addition to dining options, the real estate developer said Gather Food Hall will offer mentorship opportunities, pairing culinary entrepreneurs with food industry peers.
Gather Food Hall also plans to offer meal discounts to college students facing food insecurity, Sweeney said. The meal program has seed funding from New York-based Cerity Partners, which is partnering with Hospitality HQ to implement it.
New York firm Bell Butler Design & Architecture is outfiting the building, taking inspiration from its past as a newspaper printing press facility. The first floor will feature newspaper-themed decor and lighting. The four-story building was designed by architect George Howe and constructed in 1954 as home to the Evening and Sunday Bulletin. The newspaper was published in Philadelphia from 1847 until 1982. Drexel University purchased the building in the 1990s and had used it for offices and academic spaces before its renovation.
The Schuylkill Yards development is a $3.5 billion partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust and Drexel University that spans 14 acres and includes multiple office, retail and residential projects.
Separately, at 30th Street Station, a $550 million renovation of the station's interior is underway that will add new restaurants and other shopping in the coming years.
