Dickinson Square Park renovation underway

Neighbors may have been surprised in early November to see chain-link fencing pop up around much of Dickinson Square park, but the plan to renovate the park has been in the works for years.

Dickinson Square is a beautiful public space in Pennsport – bounded by Moyamensing Avenue, Fourth Street, and Morris and Tasker streets – that is well used by the neighborhood and cared for by a friends group, but it was time for a major facelift. The pavement, steps, structures, lighting and trees all needed attention.

In 2007 the Community Design Collaborative worked with Friends of Dickinson Square Park on some conceptual designs. The master plan that’s being implemented is an adaptation of those early designs, created by landscape architect Deborah Cahill from the Department of Parks & Recreation and Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects.

The park will have new play areas, furniture, and plantings, but no dedicated dog park as had been rumored. The round red building will be removed.

When I walked through in early November, construction crews had just cut down several diseased trees. Friends of Dickinson Square’s Renovation Chronicles notes that one of the trees had a hole that was filled with beer cans, bottles, and trash. Construction is anticipated to continue well into 2012.

Want More:

• A Room with a View: Dickinson Square Park is getting more scenic with a long-awaited makeover. [Grid, October 26, 2011]