April 7-13, 2005

cityspace

Square Pegged

by Doron Taussig

Franklin Square has taken a lot of abuse. In 2003, the Daily News called the park a "huge, dead and utterly wasted land mass," adding for that "the square is nowheres-ville." Last summer, CP's Steve Conn described it as "forlorn," "lonely" and "neglected." Heck, even the Fairmount Park Commission's Web site concedes, like a resigned parent, that this black sheep "goes relatively unnoticed by passersby."

It's true that the former graveyard, designated by William Penn to be one of five Philadelphia city squares, doesn't have much going for it. Several high-traffic roadways border the park, making it difficult to get to, and, frankly, there's not much reason to try. But Franklin Square (situated, in case you didn't know, across from the National Constitution Center at Sixth and Race) is finally getting some love. By summer 2006, the dingy plot of land will blossom into a sort of baby theme park, replete with a carousel, miniature golf course, revamped playground and food vendors. The effort, being orchestrated by the nonprofit Historic Philadelphia, is part of a revitalization program called the Philadelphia Heritage Project. The program will kick off this summer with evening tours and storytelling sessions, then break ground at Franklin Square in September.

According to Historic Philadelphia Executive Director Amy Needle, the park's theme will be Philadelphia. So, the carousel will feature Smarty Jones and a Philly Phanatic horse, and mini-golfers will putt their way through the city, finishing the 18th hole by cracking the Liberty Bell. Historic Philadelphia has received a $5 million state grant, contingent on the organization raising another $5 million itself. Needle says they're "about halfway there."

Not everyone is happy with the plan. Though he's in favor of fixing up Franklin Square, John Andrew Gallery, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, says that this project runs contrary to the original spirit of William Penn's plan.

"Franklin Square is an important historic site, too important to be turned into a carnival fairground," he says. "If you really were trying to create another attraction [around Independence Hall], it obviously should be at the east end."

One might indeed wonder why so much effort is going into the redevelopment of a space that has such a poor record of attracting visitors. But developers are confident that Franklin Square can outgrow its history of obsolescence. "This is in an area that a few years ago, there was no Constitution Center, no visitors center," says Needle. And Conn, who called the place "forlorn," hopes "it will remind people that the damn place was there in the first place."