After more than half a century at 222 North 17th Street, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is packing up its administrative offices and heading a short walk away to Three Parkway on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Church leaders say the move will sharply shrink the archdiocese's physical footprint while keeping its operations planted in Center City. Staff were notified of the plan last fall, and construction on the new office fit-out is underway ahead of a targeted 2026 move.
According to the Archdiocese's financial statements, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez entered into a lease on Oct. 1, 2025, for office space at Three Parkway, 1601 Cherry Street. The initial 12-year term covers part of the 10th floor and the full 11th and 12th floors, and the filing says the Archdiocese intends to relocate Pastoral Center operations to that space in 2026.
The shift trims the Archdiocese's office footprint from roughly 137,000 square feet across a dozen floors to about 80,000 square feet on three floors, a reduction of about 41 percent. It follows an internal assessment that identified about $25 million in deferred maintenance at the 13-story Pastoral Center, as reported by CatholicPhilly. At its peak more than a decade ago, the Archdiocese employed about 450 people; today it has roughly 250.
Archdiocese spokesperson Ken Gavin told PHILADELPHIA.Today, "We'd rather spend funds on the mission of the church opposed to maintain the building," and said the move should produce cost savings for the Archdiocese. Gavin framed the change as an opportunity to steer more money toward pastoral and charitable ministries instead of bricks and mortar.
Where They Will Work
Three Parkway is a Class A, LEED Gold office tower with about 600,000 square feet of space in Logan Square, with close transit access and a cluster of nearby hotels and restaurants, according to CommercialCafe. The larger floor plates there are intended to make it easier for the Archdiocese to put teams together on contiguous levels rather than scattering staff across multiple floors.
What Is Next For The Old Headquarters
The Archdiocese's financial filing also notes that the organization granted a developer rights to rezone and ground-lease portions of its 17th and Vine property. That language points to a potential reuse or redevelopment of the Pastoral Center site, according to the same financial statements. Any formal plan for the 222 North 17th Street building has not yet been announced.
Keeping the offices within a block, which CatholicPhilly puts at roughly 800 feet, was presented as a priority so the Archdiocese can remain close to the Cathedral and many civic partners. Commercial real estate coverage has framed the move as part of a broader trend of institutions shrinking their footprints and opting for leased Class A space to avoid escalating maintenance bills, as noted by CoStar.
