November 15, 2018
Source/Google Street View
Russo Park in Torresdale is one of eight Philadelphia sites that will receive state grant funding for improvements.
Eight Philadelphia projects are among 280 included in a statewide investment of $50 million to spur recreation and community revitalization efforts across Pennsylvania.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced the investment Thursday, noting that the projects will also work to conserve natural resources.
“Many of the projects being funded — improvements to local parks, trails, and river access — bring opportunities for outdoor recreation closer to home, and are the features that help attract families, visitors and businesses that provide jobs to communities,” he said. “This $50 million in grants will support communities throughout Pennsylvania working to protect and improve natural amenities for our citizens.”
Philadelphia-planned projects are as follows:
• Development of Century Park — $300,000
• Development of East Fairmount Park Smith Memorial Playground — $225,000
• Rehabilitation and development of Russo Park — $250,000
• Developments to Schuylkill River Trail — $1.148 million
In total, the grant will support the following:
• 39 trail projects
• Protection of nearly 4,172 acres of open space
• 10 projects for planting riparian buffers along streams
• 16 projects for rivers conservation
• 126 projects to develop or rehabilitate recreation, park, and conservation areas and facilities.
Funding for the grants, administered by the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, comes from the Keystone Fund, the Environmental Stewardship Fund, the ATV/Snowmobile fund and federal sources.
A full list of projects by county can be found here.
