A welcoming new addition at FDR Park!

Improvements to the visitor experience are underway at Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park in South Philadelphia. Work began recently on a Welcome Center near the 348-acre park’s Broad and Pattison entrance. This modern facility will transform the park’s historic guardhouse and stables.  

The groundbreaking marks the start of construction on the Gateway Phase of the multi-year FDR Park Plan. The 18,000-square-foot Welcome Center will: 

  • Transform the existing stables into a 4,000-square-foot cafe. 
  • Create a 6,700-square-foot multi purpose event space overlooking Pattison Lagoon. 
  • Restore the banks of the lagoon.
  • Allow visitors to enjoy water’s edge views from the Habitat Terrace.  

The completed Center will include public restrooms, an open-air courtyard, and local concessions. It will also feature community event and meeting space. 

A key attraction will be the staffed information center where future visitors can: 

  • Find out about upcoming events. 
  • Rent equipment to use in the park.
  • Sign up for park permits. 

The Welcome Center is the first of three projects in the Gateway Phase. These projects are part of a once-in-a-generation reimagining of the historic park. They will protect the park and help it serve 21st century Philadelphians. 

Funders for the Welcome Center project include: 

  • City of Philadelphia 
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
  • The 1772 Foundation 
Photograph by Albert Lee.

A long, wet history 

In 1914 the City began work on what was then called “League Island Park.” At the time, the area at the end of Broad Street was a remote, rural, and filled with tidal marshes. The City chose the Olmsted Brothers, a well-known landscape design firm, to create a plan for the park. They laid out the park’s lakes, lawns, and foot paths. Fittingly, the park became known as “The Lakes.” In the 1940s the City renamed the park to honor President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

In 1926, the park hosted the Sesquicentennial Exhibition. This world’s fair celebrated the 150th anniversary of the country’s founding. The Exhibition’s boathouse and overlook became permanent park landmarks. Today, the park also includes: 

  • A playground. 
  • Four baseball fields. 
  • A renowned skate park. 
  • Tennis courts. 
  • The American Swedish Historical Museum. 
  • 126 acres of woodland. 

But rising waters and persistent flooding are a problem in the park. A plan was needed to save the park and reimagine it for the future. 

To address this need, the Fairmount Park Conservancy helped create the FDR Park Plan. They did this in partnership with Parks & Rec and Friends of FDR Park. This plan is the first of its kind in Philadelphia. It proposed improvements that balance nature, water, and activity. The planning process included extensive community engagement. It also examined the site’s conditions, like how water flows in the area. WRT Design completed the plan in 2019. 

The final plan offers an ecologically sustainable vision for FDR Park that:  

  • Inspires investment. 
  • Meets the needs of all users today and tomorrow.  
  • Focuses on resiliency in the face of a changing climate.  

 

Learn more about the FDR Park Plan. 
View an overview about the project, take a virtual tour of the park, and more.