Extra ticket fees at the Mann Center and the zoo could help cash-strapped West Fairmount Park, group says

Philadelphia spends much less money per person on its parks than any of the 10 largest cities in the United States, other than Houston.

The lack of funding has hurt upkeep and amenities, especially in West Fairmount Park, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) said in a report released Thursday.

The park falls nearly $2 million short each year of what’s needed just to maintain operations, but, in reality, much more money is needed for the park to thrive, the report found.

Experts assembled by ULI suggested multiple ways to increase revenue to rejuvenate the 1,400-acre park, such as getting more money from the city, creating new concessions like food trucks, or generating permitting fees from events. They also suggested a nominal fee on ticket sales at some of the park’s popular venues such as the Mann Center, the Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum, and potentially, the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center.

But fees on venue sales or tickets would likely be implemented only after other revenue is found, said Maura McCarthy, executive director of the nonprofit Fairmount Park Conservancy, which works with Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation Department on the city’s sprawling parks. She said officials don’t want fees to hurt the venues’ sales but instead “uplift the institutions and let them thrive.”

The report found that limited public transit, lack of parking, shortage of pedestrian access, dearth of amenities, confusing roads, lack of maintenance and operations funds, and a perception of unsafe streets has hurt the park — and its ability to become an inviting place for visitors. It says parts of the park are in poor condition or aging with a deficient distribution of playgrounds and recreation centers.

“The report is essentially saying we need to pay attention to West Fairmount Park, its history and its community, and what it does for the region,” McCarthy said. “We need to collectively, all of us stakeholders … create a unifying vision of what we want this park to look like in the future.”

ULI first began looking at the Centennial District section of the park, which was developed for the exposition of 1876, but broadened the view to the whole of West Fairmount. East Fairmount Park, at 650 acres east of the Schuylkill, was not part of the study.

ULI, a network of private real estate professionals and government officials, worked on the report with the Fairmount Park Conservancy by compiling a panel of experts from across the U.S. in 2022 for five days in Philly. They brainstormed for solutions to the park’s challenges, such as its overwhelming scale, lack of sufficient funding, and inconsistent community engagement.

McCarthy said the report is a starting point for years of conversation and planning for the park.

Some efforts are already underway, including rehabilitation of the long dormant Welsh Fountain and its surrounding landscape. The goal is to create a safe green space while connecting residents from Parkside Avenue to the Please Touch Museum, including improved landscaping, seating, and walkways.

The Fairmount Park Conservancy has also moved its operations into the restored, historic Ohio House at Montgomery Drive and Belmont Avenue, within the park.

» READ MORE: Historic house in Fairmount Park gets a makeover and a new occupant

ULI panelists’ other recommendations include:

Key to any improvements will be funding. ULI found that West Fairmount Park operations fall well short of what’s needed, so new sources for revenue are key. By comparison, Baltimore spends twice as much per person on its parks than Philly.

The report recommends that a budget of $3 million to $5 million annually is needed to cover operations, maintenance, and programming.

According to benchmarks established by the National Recreation and Park Association, annual spending in West Fairmount Park should be $2.8 million to $7 million based on population. Currently, the park gets about $900,000 annually from the city and $100,000 from the Fairmount Park Conservancy.

In other words, it falls at minimum about $1.8 million a year below what benchmarks suggests.

ULI suggests that the Fairmount Park Conservancy look beyond donors for more money, including:

The report suggests a surcharge could run 1% to 3% of ticket sales or revenues for the Mann Center, zoo, Please Touch Museum, and potentially, the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center or other institutions. It says any surcharges should be minimal. As an example, it says a standard adult ticket at the Philadelphia Zoo cost $24 as of 2022. A 3% surcharge would translate to 72 cents per ticket and a 1% surcharge, to 24 cents. The fees have the potential to generate $250,000 to $750,000 annually on ticket surcharges.

McCarthy said fees would only be considered after park improvements provide a boost to the venues, and that would likely be years away.

Officials could also tap historic buildings and surrounding land for concessionary leases. Fees on boat rentals and ice cream trucks, for example, could generate money during large multiday events. Permitting fees during events could also generate revenue.

The report also found that West Fairmount Park needs a sense of identity. But, because the park is so big, panelists suggest the creation of distinctive zones or districts within the park: Centennial, Entertainment, Plateau, Active, River, and Chamounix.

Panelists cautioned that gentrification can occur when improvements make surrounding neighborhoods more desirable. That could lead to higher property values or rents and displace residents.

“With the proposed additional investments in West Fairmont Park, green gentrification and the associated displacement it could potentially produce are a concern,” the report states. “However, various strategies can be used to mitigate the risk of displacement and ensure that current residents will reap the benefits of future park investments.”

Among those strategies: Keep in touch with neighborhoods and know their needs. The report suggests collecting data on rent, property taxes, and community turnover.

McCarthy said the report is being presented to local resident and business associations and city officials this week as the next step in planning for West Fairmount Park’s future.