The Temple University Board of Trustees and the Philadelphia Historical Commission have passed Fox School of Business’s proposal to renovate and utilize 1810 Liacouras Walk. The renovations to the building, which stands next to Temple’s Alter Hall, are scheduled to begin this month.
The new building will provide over 77,000 square feet of space for Temple’s expanding student body. Though the inside of 1810 Liacouras Walk will see significant changes, including another floor and an atrium, the front of the building will remain unchanged. The facade is protected, since it is technically a part of Philadelphia’s Park Avenue Historic District.
1810 Liacouras Walk is one of the oldest buildings on the Temple campus, as it was built at the turn of the nineteenth century. It was initially a group of row homes intended for the community outside of Temple. After the university bought 1810, the homes served various uses, including women’s dorms in the 1970s. Since 1810 is certified as historic by the city of Philadelphia, it could not be torn down, even when it began to decay. In light of this, Temple left the facade and modernized both the inside and the back of the structure.
The additional renovations, however, will create significant classroom space, while increasing the convenience of accessing Temple’s renowned Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI), which will be setting up shop on the first floor.
“The growth of our student body and our faculty is a testament to the momentum of our school and the rankings our academic programs have attained,” said M. Moshe Porat, Dean of the Fox School of Business, “The space at 1810 Liacouras Walk will support our commitment to several other academic pillars, and improve the accessibility of the services we provide.”
Completion of the project is slated for the fall semester of 2018, which lines up with the school’s 100th anniversary.