For decades, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. has lived at the iconic 4015 Walnut St. office, lovingly dubbed the “Pink Palace” by generations of students. But on Oct. 21, the DP announced that it is officially set to move offices by late 2025.

The DP, Inc. Foundation Board, which was established in 2023 to oversee the purchase of the new building, will be charged with fundraising for renovations and designing the building. Nestled in the heart of University City, the new office building is poised to be a harbor of creativity, collaboration, and cutting-edge journalism as well as a hub that facilitates engagement with the Penn and West Philadelphia community.

The new office, located at 3721 Chestnut St., marks a significant milestone for the DP. With expanding ambitions and a growing team of talented writers, editors, designers, and multimedia creators, the need for a space that reflects the dynamic nature of digital journalism has become paramount. It is estimated to be fully renovated and open by fall 2025.

“The future of The Daily Pennsylvanian is bright,” Foundation Board Chair and 103th Board Managing Editor Chuck Cohen said. “Purchasing a new building allows the DP to be in control of its financial destiny for the first time in, really, its entire history.”

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A Campus Media Hub

Covering 4,200 square feet across four floors, the new DP office will be renovated and equipped with the latest technology and amenities to enhance the editorial, design, and collaboration capabilities of the student-run media company. With larger workspaces planned, the aim is to foster creativity and teamwork among students.

The new building will include designated spaces for meetings, workshops, and events. Specially designed media and design labs equipped with the latest tools for multimedia content creation ensure that students’ work can continue to evolve and innovate in the digital age.

“The DP has always been a leader in campus discourse, sometimes city-wide and nationally, too,” Jesse Zhang, president of 139th Board, said. “I am proud that we took this step forward on the cusp of our company’s 14th decade, and I am excited for future DPers to undertake the great responsibility of informing our community in this very building.”

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Beyond a mere facility upgrade and new operational home, the new DP house will be an independent media hub near Penn’s campus for forging influential partnerships with the University and external organizations, thereby enhancing the landscape of student journalism and media.

Allyson Nelson, one of two copy editors on the 139th Board at the DP, is also an at-large student member of the foundation. She shared that being on the foundation board has been a “fantastic” experience and that she values contributing the student perspective to the project.

“The new building ensures that every department at the DP will have a dedicated space to pursue its goals, continuing our long history of providing high-quality student journalism to the Penn community,” Nelson said. “Most of all, though, I am excited that any DP staffer — both past and present — will be able to call the new building home for years to come.”

The DP Foundation

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The Foundation Board is made up of alumni volunteers and at-large student members. The foundation’s Executive Director Steven Molberger spearheaded the capital campaign that facilitated the purchase of the new building. “It is another key moment of success in our 140-year-old organization's storied history and represents a new era,” Molberger said.

In the 1980s, the DP, Inc. established a trust fund with the forward-minded goal of eventually being able to migrate the student publications to a new location. Rob Chasen, the business manager on the 103rd Board, helped establish the trust and has been integral in securing the new building as chair of the building committee on the foundation board.

“I worked at the DP in the mid ’80s; at that time, we'd been at 4015 Walnut for about a decade, and the place was showing its age,” Chasen said. “When I graduated Penn, one of the first projects I was supported as a member of the DP Alumni Association was the creation of a Premises Trust Fund to start raising money to someday buy the DP a permanent home. So this has been a long time coming.”

Madison Smith, the 139th Board marketing manager and an at-large student member of the foundation board, said she is looking forward to students being able to use the new space.

“Serving on the inaugural DP foundation board has been a great experience. I’ve gotten to work with and learn from alumni throughout the planning process, and it reminds me why the community of the DP is so special,” Smith said.

With this new space, the DP, Inc. is poised to continue its tradition of excellence in reporting, storytelling, and community engagement. The team is energized and ready to make a positive impact, not just within the University's walls but throughout the city.

Media contact

Jesse Zhang, president@thedp.com

Steven Molberger, molberger@thedp.com

Correction: A previous version of this article erroneously wrote that the DP office has lived at 4015 Walnut St. for over 50 years when, in fact, the DP initially moved to this office in the summer of 1975, a little over 48 years ago. The DP regrets this error.