Heitzman Recreation Center, 2136 Castor Ave., in Harrowgate was among the first sites selected to benefit from the City of Philadelphia’s Rebuild program.
The program is investing thousands of dollars collected from the city beverage tax into renovations at recreation centers throughout the city.
In March 2019, Impact Services, 1952 E. Allegheny Ave., was awarded $1.8 million in grant funds to lead the renovation project at Heitzman.
Funds will be used for improvements to the rec center, the playground and some outdoor spaces.
Over the course of the year, the organization performed community outreach through events and surveys to solicit feedback about potential improvements.
New improvements include updated ADA-accessible restrooms and the addition of an all-gender restroom; new lighting and a new air-conditioning system in the indoor gym; and an updated community room with its own heat and air-conditioning system to allow for year-round, diverse uses.
Outdoor renovations will be made to the playground and basketball courts.
The design team has completed two design options, with voting now open to the community.
Option 1 features a soccer mini-pitch, and Option 2 features a green and performance space.
To provide feedback on the future of Heitzman Recreation Center, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6C9ZBJY. For updates on the project, email Patricia Codina at pcodina@impactservices.org.
