Rebuild Philadelphia, City & State Officials Celebrate Groundbreaking at Panati Playground

Renderings & Before Photos Available for Download

PHILADELPHIA -Today, Rebuild Philadelphia, City officials, Councilmember Cindy Bass (8th District), Pennsylvania State Representative Roni Green (190th District), Senator Sharif Street (3rd District), the Allegheny West Foundation, and community members celebrated a groundbreaking at Panati Playground. The site, located in the 8th Council District, will receive an $8.5 million investment made possible by the City's Rebuild program, a historic capital investment of over $500 million in 72 neighborhood parks, recreation centers, and libraries across Philadelphia.

Panati Playground will receive transformative upgrades, including:

• Demolition and construction of a new 5,700 sq. ft. building
• Community kitchen with commercial-grade appliances
• Makerspace with a standalone recording studio
• Indoor half-court basketball court
• Refurbished outdoor basketball court and lighting
• New security camera system

"Today's groundbreaking at Panati Playground marks the City's third groundbreaking at a rec center in just two weeks for a total investment of more than $50 million across three sites," said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. "This incredible momentum speaks to the dedication of our team at the City's Capital Program Office and my administration's commitment to ensuring that Philadelphians have the safe, clean, and vibrant public spaces they deserve."

"I'm excited to be here today to celebrate the future of Panati Playground," said Councilmember Cindy Bass (8th District). "This community will soon have a state-of-the-art space to utilize for generations."

"When communities have the resources they deserve, great things can happen," said Aparna Palantino, Director, Capital Program Office. "Our team is working hard to support the City's efforts to develop safe and modern community spaces like Panati Playground that promote community, unity, and opportunities for everyone to play, learn, and grow."

This North Philadelphia neighborhood is known for its expanding, diverse population, and the improvements at Panati will foster an environment that reflects and supports the neighborhood's vibrancy. The Rebuild team collaborated with community members throughout the design process to reimagine this important community hub.

"I am thrilled to kickstart the renovation of the Panati Playground here in North Philadelphia," said Susan Slawson, Commissioner, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. "This renovation will create a vital community hub, providing access to important resources and programs that will enrich lives and bring neighbors together."

This project received $1.5 million in additional funding from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program awarded to the Allegheny West Foundation.

"I'm extremely excited that the renovations to the Panati Recreation Center have begun," said Ron Hinton, Executive Director, Allegheny West Foundation. "I am looking forward to expanding public-private partnerships needed to bring new programs to this facility to serve the needs of youth, seniors, and business owners as well as continue to provide resources to address food insecurity in our neighborhoods."

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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.

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