Franklin Square is getting a $7.8M upgrade with new playground, zip line, restrooms, and bike lanes
It marks the first major upgrade since 2006 to the 7.5-acre park, just off the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Franklin Square will undergo a major overhaul that includes adding new restrooms, playground equipment, LED lighting, and bike lanes.
The projects will cost about $7.8 million and take about 18 months to complete, according to announcement from nonprofit Historic Philadelphia Inc. on Wednesday.
It marks the first major upgrade to the 7.5-acre park, just off the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge, since 2006. Franklin Square is one of Philadelphia’s five original squares set aside in the 1600s by William Penn as public spaces.
Amy Needle, CEO and president of Historic Philadelphia, said the revamp marks “the next steps in maintaining and elevating this essential public space.” Although the park is owned by the city, it is operated and maintained by Historic Philadelphia.
More than 700,000 people use the park annually, Needle said, many of them children. The park’s Philly-themed mini golf course, Parx Liberty Carousel, and Square Burger, operated by Cescaphe, are popular stops for families.
The park also hosts the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival, the Winter in Franklin Square light show by PECO, and other events.
Lesly Attarian, vice president of development at Historic Philadelphia, said 100,000 children visit Franklin Square each year, “making it clear that this space is a vital part of the neighborhood.”
Needle said the park will remain open and that festivals and events will continue during the work.
Officials say the major improvements are designed to enhance safety and accessibility and to elevate the park’s public presence.
The renovations include:
A $3.5 million playground revamp that includes swings, slides, climbing nets, zip lines, and climbing boulders, in addition to resurfacing the ground. A bike and scooter path for children, an amphitheater, and a water misting feature for hot days will also be added. Officials say the new playground will introduce elements inspired by Ben Franklin’s “spirit of exploration and discovery,” as well as honoring the culture of Chinatown. Funding came from the William Penn Foundation, as well as state and city grants. Officials said donations to support the playground can be made online at historicphiladelphia.org.
A $2.2 million, 1,275-square-foot restroom that will increase the number of toilets and sinks, replacing a nearly 50-year-old facility built for the Bicentennial in 1976. It includes a storage facility and new lighting. Construction began in January and is expected to be complete by spring. Funding came from the William Penn Foundation and city and state grants.
Protected bike lanes that will be added along Race Street between Sixth and Eighth Streets. The $1.8 million Street Department project is being paid for by city and federal grants. The bike lanes are expected to be finished by May. Kristin Del Rossi, commissioner of the city’s Department of Streets, said the bike lanes are part of a “road diet” that will give people at the park “better visibility and shorter crossing distances,” keeping them safer from motorists.
New LED lighting, designed to be more energy-efficient and brighter, that will be installed throughout the square, providing more safety. The work is being paid for through federal funds obtained with the help of U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle. It will cost about $250,000.
Although separate from the Franklin Square revamp, a $30 million project by the Delaware River Port Authority to reopen the long-dormant Franklin Square PATCO commuter train station, is nearing completion.
Officials say the new station will enhance the area and provide transit for South Jersey residents. The station was initially opened in 1936 and closed in 1979.
Pennsylvania state. Sen. Nikil Saval said he often visits the park with his children to play mini golf.
“The square is … part of a neighborhood,” Saval said. “It is one of the few green spaces available to Chinatown, one of the few available to Old City, Society Hill. … As we go forward with other plans to modernize and transform our historic district, it will become even more important.”
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Susan Slawson, commissioner of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said the city is a partner in the renovation. Franklin Square, she said, is “one of the city’s most charming destinations where families gather.”