Julian Abele Park: Ribbon Cutting and Grand Reopening from Philadelphia Water Department on Vimeo.
Love your Park week came to a close on Saturday, May 18th with events and festivities around the City. One of these events was the grand reopening of Julian Abele Park in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood. Check out this short video of Shelly Jones, a PWD engineer, speaking about PWD stormwater improvements at the event last weekend. Also, check out Naked Philly’s pre-game coverage for some great photos.
The park has undergone a number of improvements including innovative stormwater management work led by PWD as part of Green City, Clean Waters. The stormwater projects include tree trenches in the sidewalks adjacent to the park with paver accents to match the park’s interior design. The tree trenches are designed to manage approximately the first 1.3 inches of rain during a storm. This means that runoff from more than half an acre is managed on site, reducing pollutants that end up in our rivers and streams by keeping stormwater out of the sewer.
City agencies and community advocates worked together to complete the various park improvements including the Department of Public Property (DPP), Parks and Recreation (PP&R), the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), and the Friends of Julian Abele Park. Work was funded through neighborhood fund-raising and a grant from The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).
