Before & After Images Available Here
PHILADELPHIA – Today, City officials, Rebuild Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Eagles, HACE CDC, Creative Philadelphia, the Office of Innovation & Technology and community members celebrated the transformation of the Rivera Recreation Center and Mann Older Adult Center in Fairhill with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by NBC10/Telemundo reporter Miguel Martinez-Valle. The facility received a $16.8 million investment as part of the City’s Rebuild initiative, a historic investment of over $500 million dollars in 72 neighborhood parks, recreation centers, playgrounds, and libraries across Philadelphia.
A vibrant cultural community center, Rivera and Mann is one of Rebuild’s largest completed projects to date. This 5.4-acre site is known for its comprehensive and impactful programming, offering activities for all ages. From arts to dance, boxing, and cooking, the improved community hub will better serve residents of the Fairhill neighborhood.
“Philadelphians deserve access to high-quality parks, recreation centers, and libraries, no matter their zip code,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “The City’s $16.8 million capital investment through the Rebuild program at Rivera Recreation Center and Mann Older Adult Center demonstrates our commitment to delivering crucial, safe, clean, and green spaces where people of all ages can flourish. This isn’t just an investment in infrastructure; it’s an investment in the future of this community.”
“I am thrilled to welcome residents of Fairhill back to the Rivera Rec Center and Mann Older Adult Center. Today, we open the doors to a space that is truly theirs—a place for connection, activity, and community,” said Councilmember Quetcy Lozada (7th District). This complete transformation is a testament to the community’s resilience and vision. I want to express my deepest gratitude for their patience throughout this process, which today has been rewarded.”
With a $200,000 contribution from the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL Foundation, the community now has a natural grass multisport field for football and soccer, with ample lighting and security cameras so children and youth can continue to play after school.
“We are so grateful for this community’s partnership and patience throughout the renovation process,” said Aparna Palantino, Director, Capital Program Office. “I want to thank the William Penn Foundation and the Philadelphia Eagles for their support, which has helped us deliver a more impactful project here at Rivera.”
“We are proud to be part of this collaborative effort and help cut the ribbon on the revitalized Rivera Recreation Center and Mann Older Adult Center,” said Don Smolenski, President, Philadelphia Eagles. “This newly transformed community space will now offer even more opportunities for the Fairhill region of Philadelphia through the addition of upgraded facilities, resources, and programming.”
The $16.8 million renovation at Rivera Recreation Center and Mann Older Adult Center includes the following:
Building improvements
- New multipurpose rooms:
- A boxing room, fitness room, pottery room, table game room, dance studio, and a multipurpose room with a stage area
- Two new computer labs equipped with fiber-optic high-speed internet
- New ADA-accessible plaza entryway into the building
- New windows, flooring, and light fixtures throughout
- Fully renovated and ADA accessible restrooms
- New HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems
- New ADA accessible improvements, including an elevator that serves both the Rivera Recreation Center and the Mann Older Adult Center
- New security updates, including security cameras and a fire alarm system
- A fully renovated gymnasium with a refinished floor, new scoreboard and shot clocks
- A new commercial kitchen and a new staff kitchenette
Site Improvements
- A natural grass multisport field for football and soccer with LED lighting and goals
- New outdoor handball court
- New adult fitness equipment
- Upgraded ballfield with new backstop and player benches
- New site fencing throughout
- New shaded seating area
- Improved community garden
- New back patio with picnic benches
- New asphalt walking path with benches
- New green stormwater infrastructure
“The renovation of Rivera Recreation Center and Mann Older Adult Center is a great example of what happens when leadership and community come together with a shared vision,” said Susan Slawson, Commissioner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. “These spaces are the heart of the Fairhill community, and we appreciate Rebuild for leading the work, reinforcing Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s commitment to creating safe, vibrant places where residents of all ages can gather, grow, and thrive.”
The Rebuild promise extends beyond renovating community spaces. The Rebuild team works closely with each neighborhood to understand the needs and aspirations of its residents.
To engage the Fairhill community, Rebuild and partner nonprofit HACE CDC collaborated with Just Act to host theater-based story circles and interactive events where community members played a custom-created board game to explore programming ideas and values to bring alive in the newly renovated center.
“It has been an honor to have been part of the redevelopment of this recreation center as a Project User under the Rebuild Program,” said Maria N Gonzalez, President/CEO, HACE CDC. “This project is an example of what can be accomplished when partners like the City, community-based organizations, funders, and residents prioritize catalytic projects and work together towards a common goal for improving the quality of life for communities. Recreation and open spaces are crucial for healthy and vibrant communities.”
As part of Rebuild’s renovations to the Rivera Recreation Center and Mann Older Adult Center, “El Ritmo Del Centro” (The Rhythm of the Center) is a new site-specific, 5,000-square-foot mural commissioned through the City’s Percent for Art Program. The mural was designed by Linda Fernandez, Keir Johnston, and Ernel Martinez of Amber Art and Design and is located on a prominent retaining wall along 5th Street and Allegheny Avenue. The final mural is the result of a robust community engagement process where Amber Art and Design, Creative Philadelphia, Rebuild and HACE CDC collaboratively hosted over 10 purposeful community events to develop and create the artwork, including virtual and in-person community input meetings, proposal presentations to the community, drawing workshops, and community paint days.
“The goal of this highly visible mural is to be a landmark that reflects the people, culture, and values of the vibrant Fairhill neighborhood, which serves as the center of the City’s Hispanic community,” said Creative Philadelphia Public Art Director Marguerite Anglin. “The artwork is inspired by drawings from children and older adults in the community expressing what ‘home’ means to them.”
Rebuild, with additional funding from the Philadelphia Eagles, the William Penn Foundation, and other local organizations, intentionally invests in community spaces. Through collaboration with community members and the use of local minority-owned businesses, Rebuild transforms these spaces into the public assets all Philadelphians deserve.
Rebuild is the City’s historic investment of over $500 million in neighborhood parks, recreation centers, and libraries across Philadelphia. Rebuild promises to acknowledge history, engage the community, and invest intentionally to uplift pivotal community spaces, empower neighborhoods, and promote economic opportunity through diversity and inclusion.
Creative Philadelphia provides creative and economic opportunities for all Philadelphians to thrive through the arts. We advance public access to arts and culture, collaborate with local creative communities, and celebrate the city’s cultural assets, contributing to a safer, cleaner, and greener city.