Dilworth "Park" to reopen Sept. 4

The park formerly known as Dilworth Plaza is set to reopen after a major transformation. But about 15 percent of the project won't be completed until mid-October.

Dilworth Park
Jim Saksa

Paul Levy, President and CEO of the Center City District, announced today that the newly named Dilworth Park (née Plaza, changed to reflect "a much more green, sustainable site") will open on Sept. 4 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an all-day arts and culture festival. Originally scheduled to open in the spring, the construction ran into delays caused by "unforeseen conditions" underground and this year's unusually brutal winter, he said. All told, the project will cost about $55 million.

Dilworth Park replaces what Levy described as "an old maze" of uninviting concrete and obtrusive stairs. The transformation will include a brightly lit transportation concourse, tree groves, flowerbeds, benches, a café and an 11,600-square-foot fountain that will become an ice-skating rink in the winter. The CCD plans to oversee maintenance and programming at the park under a 30-year lease from the city. Funding for the construction came from a combination of the CCD, SEPTA, the city, state and the feds, as well as contributions from charitable foundations and local businesses. The opening day festivities, organized by the CCD and presented by Comcast, will be followed by two more days of community events.

But only about "85 percent" of the park will be finished by the grand opening date. Construction will continue on the southern end of the park after Sept. 4th, and should be completed by mid-October. The café, the Market Street entrance to City Hall and the new transportation plaza will open in September.

Programming at the park will feature weekly concerts, outdoor movies, pop-up designer fashion and crafts markets and open-air dance parties. With the exception of Sundays and Mondays, there will be some sort of programming every day this fall, and Levy said he expects that level of programming to continue in 2015.

Levy was excited to describe the architectural improvements to the old SEPTA concourse, which he described as what you would get "if you gave an architect the challenge of designing a dangerous space." At least under Dilworth Park, the SEPTA concourse will be brightly lit with clear lines-of-sight and new signs to help orient locals and tourists alike.

Jose Garces will operate the park's café as another iteration of his Rosa Blanca concept. Garces said the café would seat about 35 patrons inside and another 25 outside. The "Cuban-inspired" menu will feature sandwiches, empanadas and salads, all priced around $6 to $9. Its hours are expected to be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m to 8 p.m. on weekends. The café will have a liquor license, but drinks will only be served after 5 p.m. While perhaps a sensible measure, it still seems strange to limit liquor hours in a park in the shadow of William Penn, who made construction of a brewery one of his first priorities after founding his eponymous colony.

Today's announcement signals the end of the lengthy planning effort, begun in 2007, to reform a Center City plaza named after the reformist mayor who was credited with reversing Center City's decline.