About a dozen officials from community groups, local and city organizations gathered around a small table in the computer lab of the Fishtown Recreation Center Tuesday night.

Their mission: finalize options to reshape the future of an aging playground.

Mary Anne Tempone, president of the Fishtown Recreation Advisory Council, said improvements to the outdoor space are long overdue.

“As the Advisory Council, it’s continued partnership with TPL [Trust for Public Land] and getting the outside, getting these renovations done,” Tempone told Spirit News. “And getting the outside done in a way that the neighborhood has time and time again said they want.”

So far, the Trust for Public Land has secured $250,000 for the project from the state, through a department of conservation and natural resources grant. Tempone added that the Advisory Council also applied for $25,000 from the Penn Treaty Special Services District, and that the Fishtown Neighbors Association applied for a National Endowment Grant worth about $50,000.

Tempone added the NEA grant would be matched in full with $47,000 from the TPL, and the remaining $3,000 coming from Advisory Council members.

At the meeting Tuesday, representatives of the RAC, TPL, Water Department and Parks and Recreation discussed what should be installed at the playground, ranging from differing jungle gyms, toddler areas and water systems. They will unveil their proposals to a larger community meeting next Tuesday at 6:30 at the Recreation Center, which should be attended by City Council President Darrell Clarke.

Work on the proposal started last year, and a concept option workshop occurred last August when the community could see preliminary designs. Online voting then occurred from August to September, and the DCNR grant was awarded to the Trust for Public Land in January.

Nancy O’Donnell, park and capital project manager of the city’s Parks and Recreation department, said the finished proposal must feature durable equipment. She added the project is intensive mainly because of space restrictions and the level of community engagement.

“It’s in a much denser, more tightly built community than what I’ve worked in before,” she said. “Sometimes I work in some neighborhoods where there’s more vacancy and less vibrancy. And here, it’s really interesting because it’s dense, there’s a lot of nice people involved, friendly people, people who care a lot about the park.”

Safety, durability and commitment to creating a greener park were common themes during the discussion. Danielle Denk, program manager for the Trust for Public Land, said her organization’s mass focus is providing long-term improvements while creating a greener space.

“We want to integrate play with natural environments, we want to help manage stormwater with the Water Department,” Denk said. “Our ultimate goal is to help Philadelphia be a greater, greener city, and do that through improved parks and schoolyard spaces for active play, and just some beautiful connection to nature.”

Tempone said finalizing the design should start next month, and that city approvals for various infrastructure components should take 9-12 months. In April 2018, contractors will provide bids for the project, and construction should start by next summer.