Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (center) celebrating the reopening of the upgraded 48th and Woodland sprayground with local families. (Photo by Wendi Wu)

Here’s some great news for West Philly and Southwest Philly youth and their families who have been battling the heat. The 48th & Woodland sprayground has reopened after some new renovations and upgrades. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Tuesday.

The playground site at 48th and Woodland was updated with new water play equipment that is tied to the theme of learning. One of the main goals of this renovation project was to create a sprayground where children can combine learning and fun. Other new amenities include a shade structure and new seating (see more photos below).

The project was a $700,000 investment by the City in this important local community space.

Upgrading this sprayground has been a longtime priority for the Southwest Philadelphia community. Local residents were involved in the redesign process and many of them participated in community meetings hosted by the Philadelphia Parks and Rec and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who helped fund the project.

“Councilmember Gauthier funded this project using her discretionary capital funds,” according to her office’s spokesman Harrison Feinman. “The William Penn Foundation also contributed grant funding, which allowed us to incorporate elements of playful learning and nature play.”

Photos by Wendi Wu