Client: Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN)- Project: Building 16 Renovations
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Size: 123,000 SF
- Architect: NewStudio Architecture
- Responsibility: Construction Management
- Project Timeline: 10 Months
For more than two decades, Blue Rock Construction has played a key role in Urban Outfitters, Inc.’s transformation at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
That partnership reached another milestone with the completion of Building 16, a 123,000-square-foot, adaptive-reuse project that further expands URBN’s growing corporate campus while preserving another piece of the Navy Yard’s historic industrial heritage.
Blue Rock delivered URBN’s newest facility, transforming the historic Building 16 into a state-of-the-art photo studio and creative production space supporting Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, FP Movement, and Nuuly.
The project marks the latest chapter in a partnership that began in 2004, when Blue Rock transformed eight historic Navy Yard buildings totaling more than 525,000 square feet into URBN’s award-winning headquarters campus. Since then, the relationship has grown to encompass 14 historic buildings and more than 1 million square feet of redevelopment work.
“Another magnificent project between URBN and Blue Rock, 20 years later,” said Dave Ziel, Chief Development Officer for URBN. “Thanks for the partnership and hard work from (Superintendent) Thai Nguyen and (Senior Project Manager) Anthony Pezzella.”
Preserving History, Creating Opportunity
Originally constructed in 1917 and expanded in 1938, Building 16 served as a machine shop and fabrication facility during the Navy Yard’s industrial era.
Consistent with URBN’s long-standing commitment to adaptive reuse, the redevelopment preserved the building’s historic character while transforming it into a modern workspace designed to support product photography and creative collaboration.
The completed project included:
- New exterior wall panel system and windows
- Interior fit-out of all three floors
- Replacement of existing stairs with four new stair towers and two elevators
- Upgrades to stormwater, drainage, electrical, and MEP systems
- Construction of a boardroom and training room
- Sport court striping for an outdoor track, pickleball courts, and basketball courts
One of the building’s most unique features is a large paved courtyard located within the ground-floor footprint. Designed as a flexible gathering space, the area can accommodate events and recreational activities such as pickleball and cornhole, reflecting URBN’s distinctive workplace culture.
Meeting Challenges, Delivering Results
Like many complex adaptive reuse projects, Building 16 presented its share of challenges. As completion approached, Blue Rock’s team worked tirelessly to coordinate inspections, finalize construction activities, and prepare the building for occupancy.
“We made a strong push over the last four weeks, working seven days a week to prepare the space for the move-in and turnover,” said Blue Rock Senior Project Manager Anthony Pezzella.
That final push required careful coordination among contractors, inspectors, vendors, and URBN personnel. The team successfully navigated multiple rounds of inspections, including state elevator reviews and repeated city walkthroughs, while maintaining a clean, secure environment for incoming equipment and staff.
Blue Rock also worked closely with URBN’s project and facilities teams to ensure the building was ready for occupancy without disrupting ongoing operations elsewhere on campus. The successful completion of Building 16 is a testament to the dedication, collaboration, and problem-solving mindset that define every Blue Rock project.
Supporting URBN’s Continued Growth
The significance of Building 16 was underscored on June 8 when Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined URBN co-founder and CEO Dick Hayne and other officials at the facility to announce the company’s plans to create 1,000 new jobs across the Philadelphia region in the coming years.
The announcement highlighted URBN’s continued investment in the region and the Navy Yard’s emergence as one of the area’s premier business destinations.
Today, the company’s Navy Yard presence has expanded from five buildings to fifteen and from approximately 500 employees to more than 2,500.
From the company’s first Navy Yard renovations to the completion of Building 16, Blue Rock is honored to be part of URBN’s growth and looks forward to helping build its next chapter.
Thank You
Blue Rock enjoyed a successful project for Urban Outfitters, Inc., by partnering with some of the best companies in the business. Blue Rock extends our appreciation to the following organizations for a job well done!
AE Kelly Group ● All Trades Mechanical ● Ambric Technology Corp ● ANH Structures ● Armor Masonry ● Bala Consulting Engineers ● Buckingham Construction Management ● Budget Maintenance ● Ceilings Inc. ● City of Philadelphia L&I ● Creative Architectural Metals ● D’Angleo Brothers ● Delaware Valley Remediation (DVR) ● Hardcourts ● Healy, Long & Jevin ● Illuminate ● JAD Development ● J.W. Carrigan, LLC ● LAN Connect, Inc. ● MECO Constructors ● Metal Alliance ● Mike Kobithen Roofing ● Miner Ltd. ● Modernfold Partitions ● NewStudio Architecture ● Pennoni ● Quality Flooring ● RCR Electric ● Rosati Plumbing ● Shaeffer Electric ● Schnoll Painting ● South Jersey Glass and Door ● Township Fence ● Tracorp ● Triad Lifts