The nearly century-old FDR Park, which was designed by influential landscape architects, the Olmsted Brothers, will be undergoing some changes—and developers are turning to area residents for help.
The Fairmount Park Conservancy announced a plan Monday to make improvements to the sprawling, 350-acre park, with help from the Philly-based firm WRT Design. The conservancy and firm will kick off the first phase of the plan this month by seeking input from South Philly residents on improving the park, according to a statement from the conservancy. The outreach will consist of community meetings and announcements in the media, though meeting times have not been scheduled yet, said Sharene Azimi, spokesperson for the Fairmount Park Conservancy. After seeking input, the firm expects to put together a “master plan” for the park within nine months to a year.
The aim of the improvement project is to bring the park back to its original state as an “urban oasis,” Kathryn Ott Lovell, Commissioner of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation said in the statement.
The historic park was designed in 1914 by the Olmsted Brothers—architects known for designing parks, private grounds and cemeteries across the country—and opened in 1921, according the statement. Since then, it’s undergone a number of changes, including the addition of a golf course in the 1930s and a skate park in the 1990s.
With age and new developments, the park has seen its fair share of heavy use and flooding, which has, “taken a toll on its infrastructure and environmental integrity,” the statement said. Though specific goals for the improvement project haven’t yet been outlined, Azimi said the plan will likely involve repaving, ecological restoration and structural repairs.
Funding for the plan will come from multiple sources, including the William Penn Foundation and an allocation from Councilman Kenyatta Johnson’s 2nd District budget.
Anyone eager to hear news about the park’s development or be involved in the master plan, can sign up for updates on the conservancy’s website.
- FDR Park to get new master plan [My Philly Park]
- Mapping the best Olmsted-designed home gardens [Curbed.com]
- FDR Park updates [My Philly Park]
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