FDR Park new entrance opens in South Philadelphia

The people behind a $250 million FDR Park renovation are aware of how unpopular the plan is among some Philadelphians. But they hope to build enthusiasm this weekend, even among skeptics, as they unveil a new park entrance.

New seating, wayfinding signage, 12 bike rack slots, a flashy new “FDR” sign, updated grasses and plants, and misters are among the latest tweaks to the 348-acre park.

Park planners say people should be able to see some of the changes the minute they get off the train or bus at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue. A new “FDR” sign, which sits on a platform where people can snap a photo or take a seat, is meant to draw the eye to the eastern entrance of the park.

“The purpose of this project was to really roll out the welcome mat for Philadelphians and to make a really strong, visible connection to public transportation right at the corner, to the bus routes that go along Pattinson Avenue,” said Allison Schapker, who is overseeing planning on behalf of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, which is leading fundraising efforts.

What’s new at FDR Park’s entrance

What used to be lawn, trees, and a path that led to the main loop now has 28 new benches, most of which are tucked under shade. Some of the seating also doubles as platforms that designers imagine individuals leading Tai Chi or yoga could use.

Some of the new lighting has motion sensors, prompting the fixtures to enter a dim mode when no one is around and the path that leads to the park’s main road now has ADA accessibility. A new path at the entrance connects to what will be the new welcome center, which has been completed but has no opening date yet.

Called the Franklin 5k loop, the path will eventually go through and around the park for 3.1 miles, protected from cars.

But park planners say some of the changes to the entrance aren’t as obvious as the misters, but make the park more climate resilient and help users cope with the heat.

The park was designed in 1914, at a time when it was typical to plant one batch of trees. That is no longer seen as best practice. To avoid losing an entire canopy to potential disease, designers planted 81 new native trees in the entrance area, felling trees that were determined to be in decline. Perennials, shrubs, ferns, and native ornamental grasses were also planted throughout the area with some of it intended to absorb stormwater.

What’s more, the canopy sits at an ever-so-slight slant, which will direct stormwater not absorbed by plants to two drains.

Eventually, the tennis courts and baseball fields will be grouped with the other athletic amenities, keeping all the fields in one area, and their current location will become an expansive lawn for “passive and active” recreation, according to park planners.

Schapker said one of the park’s challenges is that there has not been much planning since its inception, with amenities often being added haphazardly.

“What that gives you is tennis courts or baseball fields, not necessarily near the parking for those things, or not necessarily having an accessible path, or not necessarily having restrooms near them,” she said.

The makeover tries to change that while addressing increasingly disruptive floods that affect sections of the park and add what youth athletics advocates say are sorely needed playing fields.

A ribbon cutting is slated for the new entrance on Saturday at 11 a.m. A DJ and kid-friendly activities will kick off at 10 a.m.

Legal and financial challenges

Still, the celebration comes as the park-renovation critics try and stop further work through the courts.

» READ MORE: Amid a battle over turf plans for FDR Park, experts say claims of PFAS-free fake grass are misleading

The main sticking point continues to be synthetic fields. The Fairmount Park Conservancy, the fundraising arm of the project, maintains the fields they’re considering will be free of PFAS, or so-called forever chemicals that have been linked to cancer. Some experts say these guarantees are misleading and it’s likely the fields will contain the chemicals.

Critics have also denounced the cutting of full-grown trees that were replaced by much younger ones. The city has maintained that many of the trees cut were in decline or invasive.

» READ MORE: Despite pitched opposition, city begins cutting down heritage trees at FDR Park

And while the city has projected confidence in its ability to overcome legal challenges, court filings from November highlight how consequential any stop-work orders could be.

The Conservancy had secured a bridge loan to cover the $30 million of work that was under contract, but the filing said the lender expressed concern about the litigation.

The city said in court documents that any injunctive relief would halt about $15 million of active work and “would almost certainly result in the lender pulling these funds from use by the Conservancy, effectively eliminating those portions of the Project,” leaving the eastern half of the park as an active construction zone.

Fundraising campaigns of this magnitude often have detailed breakdowns and projections of where funding will be coming from, whether it be from public or philanthropic sources, and deadlines for when certain fundraising goals should be met.

The Conservancy, however, declined to discuss finances, citing the pending litigation, adding its fundraising plan is internal.

What is known is that in 2023, the Conservancy’s then-CEO Maura McCarthy touted reaching the $100 million milestone. She said half was a $50 million commitment from the city over five years, the Philadelphia International Airport provided another $30 million, and multiple individual donors accounted for $2.4 million. Smaller amounts came from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and the Widener Memorial Fund.

The project has raised another $7.6 million since.

The Conservancy, which fundraises for other Philadelphia parks, is slated to launch a new $3.5 million campaign Saturday, much of which the nonprofit said will go to FDR Park.

The Conservancy said its “current progress tracks with realistic expectations in philanthropy and government funding.”