On Tuesday, September 27, Penn Treaty Park was filled with city officials, Friends of Penn Treaty Park, and students from Adaire, Hackett, and Saint Laurentius schools to celebrate the renovations starting at the playground.

  The renovations will include some minor landscaping to the park and conservation of the obelisk sculpture. The current playground, a donation from Franklin Square, will be removed and replaced with brand new ADA accessible equipment and new safety surfacing. The new playground will be moved to higher ground to avoid flooding during periods of heavy rain. The renovations will also include the addition of a turtle sculpture to the park.

  The renovations are part of Mayor Jim Kenney’s Rebuild Initiative to revamp Philadelphia’s parks, libraries, recreation centers, and playgrounds. According to the Rebuild Initiative plan, the upgrades will be funded through both private and public funding – with a majority of the public funding coming from the soda tax.

  Mayor Jim Kenney addressed the crowd with the motivation behind his Rebuild Initiative. “Every park in Philadelphia deserves high quality equipment for all to enjoy. I’m pleased the rebuild plan will ensure that all neighborhoods in Philadelphia will have a park as nice as Penn Treaty [Park].”

  According to Alain Joinville, communications manager of the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department, the renovations to the park will be paid for by an investment exceeding $500,000. The renovation has been funded by the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and PECO.

  According to the Friends of Penn Treaty Park, it is believed Peace Treaty Park was where a meeting took place between William Penn and the Leni Lenape Indians. The turtle sculpture that will be added to the park is to represent the Native American history behind Penn Treaty Park.

  Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribal councilman, Reverend John Norwood explained the significance of the Native American significance of the turtle to the crowd, “North America is the back of a great turtle, rising up out of the sea. And even the tides represent its breathing. And all that is on the back of the turtle is living and must be respected as so.”

  Mayor Kenney said, “When we are here we have to remember that this is a sacred holy place for Native Americans and we need to get in concert with nature. And to understand what [Native Americans] taught each other and what they taught about the environment. When one part of the environment was disrupted the whole universe was disrupted.”

  The crowd was also addressed by Councilman Mark Squilla, who encouraged the students to practice ownership of the park by picking up trash and taking care of the equipment. “We go to different areas throughout the city… and [people] sometimes say, ‘How come some things happen in some playgrounds and don’t happen in others?’ Well they happen in some playgrounds because of community involvement and stewardship,” Squilla said. “The city is going to invest money and people are going to invest money when you have ownership.”

  Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell, and Parks and Recreation managing director, Michael DiBerardinis also took the stand to thank the investors, designers, and the Friends of Penn Treaty Park who were behind the renovation plans.

  The ceremony ended with a blessing by Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribal councilman, Reverend John Norwood and officials and students breaking ground, by shoveling piles of dirt from the park to initiate the beginning of the rebuild.

  The renovations are scheduled to begin before winter and are set to be completed before spring, according to Ott Lovell. 

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