The historic Burk Mansion has a big change coming. Temple University will transform the long-vacant building on the corner of Broad and Jefferson streets into a bridge between the university and the community.
“We intentionally called this a Community Engagement Center,” said David Brown, the executive director for community impact and civic engagement. “Community is defined very broadly. Temple is a community in and of itself, as well as the neighbors that surround Temple.”
The Burk Mansion will now be known as the Spolan Community Engagement Center, after receiving a major donation from Michael Spolan. It is located across from Progress Plaza, a short walk from campus.
“We hope you’ll be able to come into the Spolan Community Engagement Center and find a range of different things,” Brown said.
Construction for the university-community hub is underway, but come early 2028, the vacant corner is expected to officially open its doors to students and North Philadelphia residents. High school students are also a primary focus for the center.
“Broad and Cecil B. happens to be one of the top three to five sites in the city where kids congregate, as relating to a lot of social media,” Brown said when asked about resources for high school students. “We’re talking about programs that can operate between 3 to 5 p.m. on weekdays so they can be somewhere.”
As construction on Broad Street continues, Temple and its neighbors hope the new space will build a lasting connection for years to come.
“I think it’s going to do a lot to kind of be that bridge,” said Warren Young, a Columbia North YMCA employee. “We see a lot of kids come up and down, a lot of community members come up and down Broad Street, so I think it’s going to be great to have this be open and accessible to everyone.”
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