LOVE Park’s Redesign Is Moving Into the Design Phase

Photo by M. Fischetti for VISIT PHILADELPHIA™

Do you want to learn more about the future of JFK Plaza/LOVE Park? A meeting will be held on January 20 to conclude the civic engagement process and review the upcoming project schedule, according to a recent announcement from PennPraxis.

Hargreaves Associates–you’ve heard of them before–will be in the house to introduce themselves and share their approach for the project. A previous public meeting was held on December 10 at the Free Library and those in attendance, over 200 people, expressed their wishes for greater seating, better lighting, more greenery and more space for food trucks. According to the recap of the meeting, attendees also spoke of wanting the space to be more versatile and flexible for events and programming–which sounds an awful lot like nearby Sister Cities Dilworth Park.

Submissions made by the public are available to view online (.pdf) and offer more insight into what we could possibly at the future LOVE Park. A more pedestrian-friendly Arch Street, outdoor eateries/cafes and beer gardens seem to be popular choices. Then there is the issue as to whether the the Fairmount Park Welcome Center–which predates LOVE Park by five years and is affectionately known at The Saucer–will be included in the plans.

Some proposals, while not practical and probably not included in Hargreaves’ plans, were downright amazing. One included a “spray tunnel arch with jets” from the LOVE statue to 16th and Arch. Another proposed a zip line starting at 16th and JFK and running diagonally to 15th and Arch. A few even called for the removal of the famous fountain.

You can preregister for the meeting on January 20 here.

What: JFK Plaza/LOVE Park Public Meeting
Where: Free Library, Central Branch–Skyline Room, 1901 Vine Street
When: Tuesday, January 20–5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• JFK Plaza/Love Park Redesign & Civic Engagement [PlanPhilly]