SEPTA wants to breathe new life into the historic Wanamaker building, and already has a plan in place to do just that, writes Mike DeNardo for KYW Newsradio.
SEPTA is planning to install classrooms in the Wanamaker building’s fifth floor. The space, which is about the size of a football field, will be used to train new operators.
This endeavor comes after the Federal Transit Administration ordered SEPTA to strengthen its safety training.
“We need to do this because of the FTA,” said Jody Holton, SEPTA’s chief planning and strategy officer. “We are expecting that this might help us with some of our turnover.”
The transit agency is looking to hire 60 new operators a month to help keep up with retirement and attrition from existing operators.
SEPTA’s decision to have its training classrooms just a short walk from its headquarters is an efficient one. It allows trainers to easily travel.
Currently, SEPTA has just seven training classrooms at its headquarters building. However, this new plan would give the transit agency 18 classrooms.
This new plan and subsequent lease agreement will likely cost $1.7 million annually over 11 years.
According to Holton, the move into the Wanamaker building could happen in late summer or early fall.
Read more about how SEPTA plans to use the Wanamaker building at KYW Newsradio.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in May 2025.
