Brandywine Realty Trust & Gotham Organization Reveal First Look at New Residential Project, Avira, in Schuylkill Yards

Located within Brandywine's Schuylkill Yards neighborhood in University City, the luxury rental will offer an upscale living experience with 326 residences within a new mixed-use building featuring 9,000 square feet of retail space, 200,000 square feet of commercial and life sciences space, and approximately 120 structured parking spaces.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 3, 2023) – Brandywine Realty Trust and Gotham Organization today announced the first reveal of its newest luxury residential development, Avira. Located within Brandywine’s 14-acre $3.5B Schuylkill Yards mixed-use neighborhood, Avira is situated atop the 570,000-square-foot, 28-story mixed-use tower, 3025 JFK Blvd. The 326 upscale residences will have access to the full building experience, which also includes 29,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor amenity space, 9,000 square feet of retail space, 200,000 square feet of office/life science space, approximately 120 structured parking spaces, and a 7,500-square-foot park. Avira is Gotham Organization’s first foray into the Philadelphia rental marketplace and is scheduled to open in Summer 2023.

“The Gotham Organization is proud to announce the upcoming opening of its newest building, Avira. With our partners at Brandywine, we have crafted a tenant experience that honors the rich history of the City and embraces the dynamic present and future of Schuylkill Yards,” said David Picket, President at Gotham Organization.

The interiors of Avira’s luxury residences are thoughtfully designed by CetraRuddy, a globally recognized architecture and interior design firm, and bring to life a mix of studio; one-, two-, and three-bedroom (including bi-level penthouse residences with rooftop terraces) residences. The kitchens in each traditional unit are appointed with a top-of-the-line suite of appliances including a stainless steel dishwasher, microwave and refrigerator, wood veneer cabinets, honed quartz countertops and chrome polished accessories. Bathrooms will feature ceramic floor and wall tile, a luxurious quartz polished vanity top and chrome polished accessories. All elements combined offer residents a coveted luxury lifestyle within Schuylkill Yards.

Avira occupies the top 18 floors of 3025 JFK Blvd, also referred to as the West Tower, the first ground-up project within Schuylkill Yards, a 14-acre transit-oriented neighborhood master-planned and developed by Brandywine in partnership with Drexel University. Located adjacent to Amtrak’s 30th Street Station and serving as the central connection point between Center City’s economic district and University City’s eds and meds epicenter, Schuylkill Yards will ultimately deliver 6.5 acres of vibrant parks, 1.5 million square feet of living space, 3.9 million square feet of dynamic life science and office spaces, and 65,000 square feet of experiential retail. Following the delivery of 3025 JFK Blvd, a ground-up fully dedicated life science building, 3151 Market will deliver in 2024.

“Schuylkill Yards began with a vision to create a neighborhood featuring world-class design, architecture, and experiences, where the best in business converges with the brightest minds around. We’ve been delighted to see that vision come to life over the years, and now with Avira, in partnership with Gotham, individuals have the option to reside in a building with an amenity profile unlike any other in the city, truly raising the bar on how we live and work in Philadelphia,” said Jerry Sweeney, President and CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust.

3025 JFK is designed as part of a duo by global architecture firm, Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), and HDR, Inc. as the Executive Architect. At ground level, the building will feature 9,000 square feet of retail and a dedicated lobby for commercial tenants. Upstairs, levels 2 through 7 will offer 200,000 square feet of life science and office space. Large, flexible 29,400-square-foot floor plates with 16-foot ceiling heights, state-of-the-art mechanical and building systems, and ventilation for fresh air intake, filtration, and circulation provide the optimal environment for innovative lab and research space or collaborative office spaces. Panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass allows a surplus of natural light and expansive views outward. 

“Avira marks our very first development outside of New York City, and we could not be more proud to expand our portfolio to the historic city of Philadelphia,” said Bryan Kelly, President of Development at Gotham Organization. “This transformative project represents the future of housing, a community that is welcoming, connecting and inspiring through thoughtful design and amenities that create an urban sanctuary in Philadelphia.”

CetraRuddy also designed Avira’s upscale indoor and outdoor amenity spaces to bring luxury to the heart of University City. Avira will feature a highly anticipated rooftop pool with a sundeck, cabanas, a large-format movie screen and landscaped terrace areas with pergolas. Residents of Avira, as well as office tenants of 3025 JFK Blvd, will enjoy a 14,500-square-foot, highly amenitized Lifestyle Club with a club lounge, a coworking lounge with booths, a kitchenette, conference and meeting rooms, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness center with locker rooms and showers. The upscale fitness center will feature an array of offerings, including cardiovascular equipment, free weights, and functional training equipment, as well as a studio area including a highly popular Pilates reformer. Additional services offered include a 24-hour staffed lobby, a package room, resident storage, electric car charging stations, a bike room and laundry facilities.

“We envisioned the amenity level at 3025 JFK Blvd as an indoor-outdoor hub of vertical community for residents of Avira and the tenants who work on the commercial floors of the tower,” said Ximena Rodriguez, Partner and Director of Interior Design at CetraRuddy. “Throughout the building we incorporated crafted details and rich materiality which reference the industrial and transportation heritage of the site as well as the grand public spaces of Philadelphia.”

Avira will be surrounded by 6.5 acres of greenspace within Schuylkill Yards’ master plan and connected to High Line Park, a pocket park designed by leading landscape architecture firm SWA/Balsley. Phase I of High Line Park is set to deliver this June, featuring a dog park, vegetative fence, and three distinctive outdoor rooms with flexible design to accommodate multiple uses.

About Brandywine Realty Trust

Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN) is one of the largest, publicly traded, full-service, integrated real estate companies in the United States with a core focus in the Philadelphia, Austin and Washington, D.C. markets. Organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT), we own, develop, lease and manage an urban, town center and transit-oriented portfolio comprising 163 properties and 23.0 million square feet as of December 31, 2022 which excludes assets held for sale.  Our purpose is to shape, connect and inspire the world around us through our expertise, the relationships we foster, the communities in which we live and work, and the history we build together.  For more information, please visit www.brandywinerealty.com.

About Gotham Organization

Gotham has over 110 years of experience constructing and developing high quality mixed-use buildings throughout New York. Following development and construction, Gotham’s in-house property management division seamlessly transitions into ongoing building and community management, operating vibrant and engaging communities in the neighborhoods it builds in. For more information, please visit www.gothamorg.com.