A first look at McPherson Square renovation plans, city to continue gathering input

Kensington residents can expect a brighter, sunnier McPherson Square Library and a new playground by 2028. 

The City of Philadelphia’s Rebuild team held a virtual meeting Tuesday evening to share the plans for the $21.7 million project and collect community input.

Most of the 40 or so community members who attended expressed gratitude for the plans. But some expressed concerns after the city shared that the library could be closed during the 18 to 24-month construction period, which is expected to begin in fall 2026. 

Residents also called for public safety improvements and more structures, beyond trees, to create shade. 

The draft designs include ADA accessibility improvements such as a new entrance ramp and an elevator, as well as new HVAC, electric, and plumbing systems, new windows, additional meeting rooms and a teen space for the library. The park could see 22 more trees of a wide variety, more seating, freshly paved pathways, and a renovated entry plaza that faces Kensington Avenue.

Kensington residents have been calling for improvements to the library for years, and the Rebuild plan has been widely criticized for falling behind. Rebuild is a citywide facilities improvement program funded by the soda tax, and involves refurbishing 72 sites citywide – including both McPherson Square Library and its surrounding park. As of December, the city had completed about one third of its projects since former Mayor Jim Kenney approved funding for the project back in 2016.

“I know you've been waiting for this project to happen for a very, very long time, and I know you've seen it start and stop at various times over the course of many, many years,” said Kensington resident Tess Donie, now the external affairs director for the Capital Program Office, which oversees Rebuild projects. “So we appreciate your patience. We appreciate your advocacy.” 

Donie shared a summary of community input the city has collected through various engagement efforts over the years.

McPherson Square Library is already in its first phase of Rebuild repair, which includes a new roof, gutters and downspouts. 

Phase two plans also include a new lobby, new lighting, new floors and furniture, a renovated children' s area and lunchroom, new security and fire alarm systems, lighter paint to brighten up the space, and facade restoration. 

For the square, a new landscaped patio for the E Street side entrance, relocated staff parking, water access for outdoor programming, more trash and recycling bins, bulletin boards, bike racks, chess tables, and a new stormwater drainage system.

Resident John Zerbe, a local artist who runs youth programming in the library, said keeping the library activated helps keep it safe for public use. Closing it for such a period of time would cut off a community hub and would be “taking steps backward.” 

Zerbe has witnessed the library help new families in the neighborhood become part of the community.

“There's been a lot of work for several years to make the library safe and have these activities. If you just close it down for two years, you will have killed all that momentum,” Zerbe said.

The McPherson Square Library has been closed since June 21st for air conditioning repairs. Those repairs are coming out of the library budget, but there’s no estimate on when they’ll be complete, according to a library spokesperson.

The entire HVAC system will ultimately be replaced under the Rebuild plan.

Others added that dispersing library staff and programming across the city would be a loss for the neighborhood.

Resident Jess Shoffner suggested ways to maintain positive activity in the square during construction —  such as using a trailer, keeping librarians on site outdoors, or utilizing the NKCDC community space across the street from the park on E Street and Kensington Ave. 

Concern about closing the library are also top of mind for the city, Donie replied. 

Donie said various city agencies — the Philadelphia Police Department, the Office of Public Safety, and Parks and Recreation — plan to discuss program relocation, as well as construction management. She said the city needs to explore options like phasing out construction to keep parts of the park and library open while other parts are being renovated versus closing the site entirely for the full 18 months.

“This is a complicated conversation, right? Because then we would have to rely on our partners at PPD and Parks and Rec to maintain that while the library is still closed,” Donie added. “So we're going to talk these things through ... And honestly, I think it could go either way.” 

There’s still time to figure this out, O’Donnell added. They also have to confer with the to-be-determined contractor, who has to be on board.  

Multiple residents pointed out the need for more shade structures beyond trees, especially considering how hot Kensington is during summer months. 

Julie Bush of Ground Reconsidered, which is designing the park upgrades, noted Parks and Recreation typically has hesitations around shade structures, but said she would look into it again. 

“It is tricky here, because we do not want something that people would want to camp out under,” Bush said. 

But Shoffner said without more shade, it’s difficult to utilize the playground.

“Parks and Rec, you definitely have done shade structures in other playgrounds around the city, and we will remind you of those ... It's really important for us. The playground is very hot,” Shoffner said. 

She said most people would only camp out under shade structures after hours, and had more fear about the playground gates not locking overnight. 

Resident Darlene Burton reiterated the importance of shade for parents who are supervising kids on the playground. 

“It's not enjoyable to sit there beaming with the sun on you when you're trying to have your kids out there playing,” Burton said. 

Other residents wondered how the city plans to “take back” the front entrance of the park, and keep people using drugs out of the area. Many people enter the library through the back, which is closer to Clearfield st and opens into the basement, rather than pass by people openly using drugs near the front entrance, which is closest to Kensington Ave.

“Just the idea of reactivating the front entrance ... and bringing people through the front entrance more often and on a regular basis, we hope will make that space, over time, safer and easier to use,” said Todd Woodward of SMP Architects. 

Donie said the new pathways and entrances are meant to encourage more “fluid passageways” for residents using the park. She said the city would be engaging other city departments, including parks and rec, PPD, OPS, to “activate” the park in different ways. 

The park should serve everyone in Kensington, including those who are unhoused or using drugs, said Shoffner.

“There is so much life and so much goodness that exists in McPherson Square Library and Park, and that includes our neighbors who are struggling with substance use disorder. There is goodness, in my opinion, in every single person,” she said. “It is important for us to recognize that there is a need there as well, and we can't just cater to one specific type of person who lives in Kensington.”

The city will continue gathering community feedback. The team will attend the August 23 back-to-school event at McPherson Park, and the Friends of McPherson meeting on September 2.

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