Philadelphia City Rowing
Philadelphia, PA 2024
Client:
Philadelphia City Rowing
Services:
Architecture, Permitting, Construction Administration
Scope:
Commercial Interior Fit-Out 7,950 SF
Consultants:
Hutec (Mechanical)
In East Parkside, a former municipal parking garage is being transformed into one of the neighborhood’s largest commercial and community hubs. This adaptive reuse project is the new headquarters for Philadelphia City Rowing, a nonprofit offering free rowing and academic programming to students across Philadelphia.
The redevelopment includes a rowing gym, classrooms, and office space for PCR, as well as additional tenant spaces for a metal fabrication shop and a youth-centered theater program operated by the Centennial Parkside Community Development Corporation. The project reimagines a dormant civic structure as a layered, high-impact community anchor.
A former parking garage becomes a multi-tenant hub for youth rowing, arts, education, and neighborhood revitalization.
This project is part of a broader design/build/develop initiative piloting a new model of turnkey fit-outs for mission-driven commercial and nonprofit tenants. Through this model, the Lo Design team provides pro bono architectural services, construction oversight, and full project management—delivering thoughtfully executed spaces with minimal overhead for nonprofit occupants. A second project using this model is underway on the adjacent site.
Philadelphia City Rowing serves nearly 350 middle and high school students annually, offering free access to rowing instruction, academic mentoring, swim lessons, and personal development programming. With their new home, PCR will be able to consolidate their programming, expand their reach, and deepen their commitment to youth empowerment in the heart of West Philadelphia.
