PHILADELPHIA (May 12, 2023) – Mayor Jim Kenney, City officials, Rebuild leadership, and community members broke ground today at Ziehler Playground, a 7.1-acre site located between Clarkson and Olney Avenues. The $7 million investment to Ziehler Playground was made possible by the City’s Rebuild program, Philadelphia’s historic investment in public spaces.

“Like many of the Rebuild sites, Ziehler Playground’s updates are focused on providing a safe place for children and teenagers in this community to play and have fun,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “Every Philadelphia family deserves to have a modern playground that they can call home, and these updates will provide the Olney community exactly that.”

“I’ve been a part of this community since I was eight years old and that drives me to not only meet the needs of my community but exceed them,” said Anthony Phillips, 9th District Councilmember. “I am hyper-focused on working with Rebuild Philadelphia to provide a high-quality safe space at Ziehler Playground that will encourage and foster our children and young people to achieve success through educational and extracurricular activities, thus strengthening our community.”

Updates at Ziehler Playground include: 

  • Removal of and new implementations of existing:
  • Paving
  • Play equipment
  • Safety surfacing
  • Fencing
  • Landscaping
  • Renovated outdoor basketball courts
  • New ADA-accessible seating areas
  • New play equipment

Building Renovations include: 

  • Complete renovation of the three-room rec building
  • New indoor play equipment
  • Selective demolition and renovation of existing:
  • Partition walls
  • Casework
  • Countertops
  • Roofing
  • Electrical and mechanical, plumbing
  • Lighting equipment and fixtures

Ziehler will also receive Green Stormwater Infrastructure improvements within Olney Avenue and B Street Right-of-Ways funded by the Philadelphia Water Department.

“Visiting your local playground as a kid is a core memory for a lot of us, and the updates to Ziehler Playground will help create those precious moments for generations to come,” said Kira Strong, Executive Director of Rebuild. “I look forward to our continued work with the Olney community, to see these improvements become reality, and hear about the creation of new memories for neighborhood children and parents.”

Construction has commenced on the project and is anticipated to complete in November 2023.

“Rec centers like Ziehler are the hub for the youth in their community, and thanks to the investments coming through Rebuild, the site will get some important upgrades to make it a welcoming place for Olney families to play, learn and grow,” said Bill Salvatore, Deputy Commissioner for Programs at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. “We look forward to returning to cut the ribbon on the renovated playground!”

 

Rebuild is a historic investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in neighborhood parks, recreation centers and libraries across Philadelphia. Proposed in Mayor Jim Kenney’s first budget as a part of his vision for a more equitable Philadelphia, Rebuild’s promise to acknowledge history, engage the community and invest intentionally seeks to uplift pivotal community spaces, empower neighborhoods, and promote economic opportunity through diversity and inclusion.

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