The City is ready to unveil the green infrastructure improvements at Malcolm X Park. New green tools installed at the park will manage approximately 84,000 gallons of stormwater runoff from surrounding streets each time the neighborhood gets an inch of rain.
The reconstruction of the sidewalks around the perimeter of the park also included planting nearly 30 new trees that are specially designed to hold enough stormwater to fill three water tanks the size of SEPTA buses. These trees will filter millions of gallons of captured runoff over the course of a year.
A special ribbon-cutting event with the participation of City officials and representatives of neighborhood organizations will take place tonight (Wednesday, Aug. 2), beginning at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by a free concert featuring Tony “TNT” Jones & Beyond the Dream as part of the bi-weekly Jazz Heritage Series.
Adopted in 2011, the Green City, Clean Waters program significantly improves local water quality and reduces stormwater pollution while beautifying Philadelphia neighborhoods. Philadelphia is now in the 7th year of a 25-year project to reduce the city’s sewer overflows by 85 percent. The city is investing an estimated $2.4 billion in public funds to create a citywide green stormwater infrastructure. To read more about this project and tonight’s event, go here.
Also, check out this video about the new trees planted around the park’s border:
https://www.facebook.com/PhillyWatersheds/videos/10156109365463791/?t=61
August 2nd, 2018 at 4:07 pm
Great. Now if they can only keep the park clean.
August 2nd, 2018 at 8:09 pm
Talk to the patrons! Not the city’s fault that the people who use the park don’t keep it clean.
August 3rd, 2018 at 4:46 pm
@gordon True. I see trash near the trash cans. Some people don’t care. Some do. It’s a city park so the city has responsibility as well.
August 4th, 2018 at 4:44 pm
@ West Philly, you could always volunteer to help keep the park clean. Actions speak louder than words.
August 4th, 2018 at 6:38 pm
There is an employee who cleans the park several days per week. He works hard and does, quite frankly, a remarkable job. The problem is that many people who used the park view throwing their trash away in a proper trash can a grotesque inconvenience. Perhaps we should find out if the city might be interested in boosting their revenue by writing a few tickets for littering instead.
August 6th, 2018 at 3:59 pm
@ Strongforu Sorry, not volunteering to pick up trash left by able-bodied slobs. I do it for the elderly on my block.
August 8th, 2018 at 1:57 pm
The trash littering is a city-wide problem.
The park is fairly well kept with all things considered, and is cleaned and groomed regularly
August 8th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
The biggest problem was the rainwater runoff. It used to pond throughout the park. This problem was solved. And they added more trees and repaired the sidewalk.
This was probably the best money spent i can think of. I feel its a tremendous success, and its something that we all can enjoy.