Real estate developer Post Brothers has announced the start of leasing at The Poplar, a mixed-use development adapted from a department store warehouse built in 1918, located in Philadelphia’s West Poplar neighborhood near Northern Liberties. The community is set to offer 285 apartments ranging from studios to four-bedrooms, with amenities specifically designed to meet the needs of remote workers.
All units at The Poplar feature open-concept layouts, high ceilings, and views of the Philadelphia skyline or waterfront, with a “competitive” price point given the area’s luxury rental market. The rooftop terrace will offer 30,000 square feet of recreational amenities, including three infinity pools, two hot tubs, a dog run, a sun deck, fire pit lounges, a splash pad, and waterfront and skyline views. Inside, a large fitness center and a wellness area will sit below a lounge and entertainment kitchen.
Next to the lounge is the community’s resident coworking space, which includes conference rooms, work stations, and private cubicles to allow residents to work outside their apartment units in safety and privacy. The community also offers 50,000 square feet of pre-built office space, available to companies and individuals on flexible lease terms.
“West Poplar is already a vibrant community, and the atmosphere and exciting nightlife in nearby Northern Liberties makes it a great location for young professionals to live and work—so we took the opportunity to restore a historic building and design it to be future-proof for both the office and multifamily markets,” says Mike Pestronk, CEO of Post Brothers. “The pandemic spurred us to ensure that remote employees could live comfortably at The Poplar, with spacious layouts and safe amenities throughout the building, and also productively work from home with specifically designated areas. These days, with people spending more time at home, renters need more than just a gym and a pool—we’re catering to what our residents’ lives actually look like now, and elevating the way they occupy their apartment communities.”
Post Brothers is also supporting Richard Allen New Generation’s pre-apprenticeship trainee program in West Poplar, which aims to supplement Philadelphia’s construction workforce by recruiting and training pre-apprentice trainees. The program graduated its second class of 20 trainees last month, and the 23 trainees in the first class of 2019 are now employed with local contractors as skilled trade apprentices.
