Fourth grader Daniella has been cutting through the Disston Recreation Center on her way home from school for as long as she can remember. But for the past few years, she hasn’t visited the playground much.

“Everything here was so old. I guess people just stopped caring. Kids would throw the swings around the bar until the chains broke off, and even after they were fixed, it would just happen again,” said Daniella.

Thanks to a $850,000 improvement project from Rebuild, Daniella and her classmates are excited to give Disston’s playground a second chance. “Getting a brand new playground is really special, and I will make sure it stays perfect for all the kids who want to play here.”

The Disston Recreation Center has been an important part of life for young people in Tacony for generations. It serves as the recess yard and after-school hang out for two neighboring schools. The basketball court, park, and sports fields are a central meeting place for athletics, recreation, and neighborhood gatherings.

The Rebuild project at Disston is now underway, and will make long-awaited improvements to the site’s outdoor facilities. The upgrades, expected to be completed in Spring 2020, will include:

• New playground equipment.
• New walkways and play surfacing.
• Community seating.
• ADA accessibility.
• And an outdoor adult fitness center.

Made possible by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, Rebuild is Mayor Jim Kenney’s signature initiative to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in neighborhood parks, recreation centers, and libraries. Two thirds of Rebuild sites are in high needs neighborhoods are all are in need of critical capital improvements.