Improvements to Norris Square Park will resume this spring

For Rafael Alvarez Febo, Norris Square was love at first sight.

He first visited the neighborhood in 2007 and fell in love with its rich Latino, and especially Puerto Rican, culture and presence. And the lush, historic park situated in the middle of the neighborhood sold him — especially when he saw a Puerto Rican flag spray-painted on one of the trees. Alvarez Febo, who is Puerto Rican himself and now a member of Friends of Norris Square Park, got an apartment on the park three years later and has lived there ever since.

“I’ve been pushing for the project for a minute, and seeing it done feels good.”

Like any public space, though, Norris Square Park in West Kensington became worn and in need of upkeep.

Built in the 1800s, the park’s lighting needed to be replaced, its sidewalks were beaten up, and the playground equipment needed updating. And while City Council approved renovations to the park in 2019, that process was halted indefinitely when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

After years of delays and a lack of funding, the renovations to Norris Square Park will resume once more.

“For me, it’s longer than the 2019 discussion,” Alvarez Febo said. “It’s a 14-year push. I’ve been pushing for the project for a minute, and seeing it done feels good.”

The restoration process began in 2019 with the support of the office of former Councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez. A $2.3 million budget was covered by City Council, and the New York City-based and Puerto Rican-owned architectural firm Marvel was hired to oversee the redesign.

Plans for the park included new secondary pathways that would connect to the sidewalks leading to the park’s central plaza, a renovated basketball court, two new playgrounds, updated seating and lighting, and a renovated central plaza.

City Council approved a budget of $2.3 million to cover the costs of the pre-phase and first phase of the project, most of which was completed. The remaining, and most complex, piece of the project was the renovation of the central plaza.

Then the coronavirus pandemic hit.

» READ MORE: Four new monuments to history have landed in Philly. You just need your phone to see them.

“Families have called Norris Square home for generations.”

In addition, the needed renovations to the central plaza encompassed regulations mandated by the city’s water department, which added unexpected costs to the project.

Estimates for contracting work to meet the water department’s requirements were around $1 million, according to Alvarez Febo.

“Between water, between inflation, between all these things, the center gets delayed,” Alvarez Febo said.

The yearslong delay to the renovation finally came to an end this year when the department of parks and recreation found a new contractor that offered a more affordable price to work on the central plaza.

Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, whose district includes Norris Square Park, was able to secure financing to complete the project. Each Council member receives funding from the city budget to distribute within their districts, and Lozada allocated $639,000 of her funding in January to allow for the completion of the project.

Lozada said in an email that Norris Square Park is one of the largest green spaces south of North Philadelphia’s Lehigh Avenue, making it a critical gathering place for people of all ages, and especially children, to enjoy the outdoors.

“Families have called Norris Square home for generations and their commitment to this community is why this park is still thriving today,” she wrote. “The children who come here every day to play will eventually take the reins as the foundation of this community and I hope to see them continue to preserve the park and the rich culture of this neighborhood.”

The project will resume in the spring and is expected to be completed by early fall.

“We’re ecstatic that the people that need to be at the table are at the table and being listened to.””

For those who have fought for the park’s renovations for years, the news that it would be moving forward brought hope.

“It’s a fulfillment of promises by our leaders,” said the Rev. Adán Mairena, the pastor of West Kensington Ministry and a member of Friends of Norris Square Park. “When we really look at that, it should give us a sense of value.

“There’s still work to do, but we’re ecstatic that the people that need to be at the table are at the table and being listened to.”