Shepard Recreation Center is another West Philly public space that will be renovated thanks to the City’s Rebuild program. (Photo courtesy of Rebuild PHL).

Rebuild Philadelphia, the City’s program that invests in public spaces, will break ground on a renovation project at century-old Shepard Recreation Center located at 57th and Haverford. This is the latest in a series of renovation projects at local recreation centers, public libraries and playgrounds implemented through this program.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 27, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Community members are welcome to attend.

The $17 million Shepard Rec transformation project will bring major renovations, including:

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The Walnut Hill Community Playground renovation project is moving forward thanks to a recently secured $75,000 grant.

The Walnut Hill Community Association, in collaboration with the University City District, is now gathering community input that will help them understand what parts of the playground’s improvement are most important for users. The association has released an online survey which takes a few minutes to complete. Here is the link.

The Walnut Hill Community Association is still trying to raise more funding and understanding who the playground users are and how they use the playground can help them do that. There are several voluntary questions about the playground usage in the survey. Please answer as much of that information as you are comfortable with sharing. The only required questions are about the park improvements.’

If you have any questions about this survey, please email Morgan Rogers Burns at morgan@universitycity.org.

More information about the $75,000 grant and the playground renovation efforts is available here.

Here’s a great opportunity to set out on an adventure without leaving the city borders, to learn more about Philadelphia history and culture and connect with neighbors/fellow city residents.

Walk Around Philadelphia is a facilitated, segmented 100+ mile walk around the entire city border that takes place twice a year, in February and September, with other programs, like meet-ups, exhibitions and concerts, being held throughout the year. Participants can join in for a scheduled group walk for as long as they are able to, or can do it on their own anytime. The program founder, West Philly-based artist and community organizer JJ Tiziou, personally leads many walks.

Over 2,000 people have participated in the project since 2020.

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Here’s some great news for local community members and visitors to Bartram’s Garden. After being cancelled since mid-July due to a report of chemical contamination on a portion of the Bartram Mile Trail, the Free Fishing program is set to resume at Bartram’s on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 5-8 p.m.

The popular program is resuming following independent test results that indicate very low levels of hexavalent chromium, a toxin, outside the affected areas of the Trail. All fishing equipment “has been properly cleaned,” according to a statement by Bartram’s, and the team is ready to “invite folks back to the Dock for fishing.”

And there’s more good news: Bartram’s is also extending the fishing season through the end of September “to make up for the lost time.”

While fishing is resuming this week, free boating is still on hold while all boating equipment goes through a cleaning process. Bartram’s team hopes to announce the reopening soon. Free biking programs also remain on pause until further notice. The impacted portion of the Trail will remain closed until the contamination is removed from the landscape.

By the way, check out the 2024 Southwest Fish-Off, which will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15. For more information and updates, visit www.bartramsgarden.org or follow Bartram’s on social media (@bartramsgarden).

Officials have revealed more details on the recently discovered water and soil contamination along the banks of the Schuylkill River in the area adjacent to Bartram’s Garden and Bartram’s Mile Trail in Southwest Philly.

The initial report on potential toxic chemical contamination as a result of a leak from a now closed industrial facility was released last month by City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, but now authorities have confirmed that the area had been contaminated with excessive levels of toxins like hexavalent chromium, arsenic, and lead. The information was presented at Wednesday’s virtual town hall meeting hosted by State Rep Regina Young and Senator Anthony Williams (read more about this here).

While authorities have been working to remediate the contamination, the affected section of the trail has been closed and riverfront and trail activities at Bartram’s Garden have been cancelled since mid-July. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Philadelphia Water Department, there is no threat to the public at this time, but boating, fishing and biking at Bartram’s will remain suspended until further notice.

As monitoring of the site continues, both the officials and Bartram’s staff hope that the trail will reopen soon and riverfront activities will resume. For now, please follow updates related to the contamination from Bartram’s here. Also, follow their Facebook page for updates on their programs and activities.

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.

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