Rebuild Philadelphia last week celebrated a groundbreaking for site improvements at Cohocksink Recreation Center, 2901 Cedar St. in Port Richmond.
Among those in attendance were Councilman Mark Squilla, state Rep. Joe Hohenstein, residents and representatives of Community Ventures.
The $4.45 million renovation project is funded by the city’s Rebuild program, with project oversight led by Community Ventures. The Rebuild initiative is an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in 72 neighborhood parks, recreation centers and libraries across Philadelphia.
The city also received funding from the state Department of Community and Economic Development totaling $1 million and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources totaling $600,000.
“I am honored to play a small part in making sure that Cohocksink gets the improvements it needs to make it a place where our kids can play safely,” Hohenstein said. “Our rec centers are part of the beating heart of the city, and our kids deserve no less than the best facilities to learn and grow.”
“It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally here to break ground on a much-improved renovation of the Cohox Recreation Center,” Squilla said. “We collaborated with the community to ensure their voices were heard while we planned the redesign of the playground.”
“Our team is always thrilled to work on Rebuild projects, and Cohocksink is no different,” said Community Ventures Director of Development Troy Hannigan. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Cohox community members and the Rebuild team to see this project come to life.”
Cohocksink Recreation Center will be updated with the following:
• Exterior site signage
• New playground safety surface and equipment
• Exterior lighting and security cameras
• Sports field upgrades
• Basketball court relocation
• Perimeter fencing improvements
• Sidewalk Improvements
• New trees
“Recreation centers are the heart of every community, and therefore should be a priority investment,” said Aparna Palantino, director of the city Department of Parks and Recreation’s Capital Program Office. “The capital improvements to come at this site will help grow this tight-knit community and provide a high-quality site for all current and future activities the children and youth will experience.”
Every Rebuild site is designed in collaboration with community members of all ages. In addition to garnering feedback from community meetings, Community Ventures’ community engagement team worked with Port Richmond youth attending the summer program to visualize their desires for Cohocksink and to educate them on the design and construction process.
“These improvements will make a dramatic difference in the everyday lives of our community members,” said Cohocksink Recreation Leader Gerard Walsh. “We are grateful for Rebuild’s investment and look forward to seeing our dreams turn into reality here at Cohocksink.”
The building will remain open and active for programming during construction. Outdoor field activities will be held until July 1, after which they will relocate to Bridesburg, 4601 Richmond St., and Cione, 2600 Aramingo Ave. ••