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for the launch of GreenTriage-SWCC, a new pruning and tree care group! More info HERE |
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Final Phase 2 design plan revealed by The Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation. Check it out! |
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In the news...
Julian Abele Park continues to make its Mark: Murals, Jazz Concerts, Farmer’s Markets & More! 
By Nicole Contosta | Weekly Press Staff | 14.JUL.10
Since its groundbreaking ceremony in October of 2008, the Julian Abele Park, located at 22nd and Montrose Streets, continues to provide an oasis from urban life in the neighborhood just South of South Street West. The park’s namesake, Julian Abele was the first African American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Architecture in 1902. Later, Abele went on to design the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Free Library and the Philadelphia Zoo. To preserve Abele’s legacy, the Mural Arts Program agreed to construct a mural at the park in his honor. "The mural," explained Robyn Buseman, the Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program Director at the Friends of Julian Abele Park community meeting held last Wednesday, July 7th, "is slated to begin in August and be completed by October." According to Buseman... (read more) (From the Philadelphia Weekly Press) |
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Exciting news! Julian Abele Park has been approved and funded for a mural by the Mural Arts Program. We are thrilled to announce this important milestone as we move forward with the next phase of planning our neighborhood's developing Park.
Representatives of the Mural Arts Program will be present to solicit community input for our Park's future mural at the following meetings: Wednesday, January 6, 2010 (initial presentation) Wednesday, April 7, 2010 (1st follow-up presentation) 
Detail - left: 
Detail - right: 
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| At this year's "Spring Into Your Park" event on Saturday, April 18, 2009, flowers and new grass seed were planted. Check out our Photo Gallery for some pictures taken by volunteers. |
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New Park Honors African-American Architect
"Philadelphia’s first new urban park in decades was unveiled Oct. 18 with a special guest – the son of the remarkable African-American architect for whom the park is named. Julian Abele II, of Ocala, Fla., thanked Philadelphia Green, the city and the community for their efforts in establishing the park at 22nd and Montrose Streets and for naming it after his father, who worked on the designs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Free Library building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Abele was the first African-American graduate of the architecture program of the University of Pennsylvania. The Abeles lived in the new park’s South Philadelphia neighborhood for many years. ... (read more at The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's website) |
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" New city park with storied name " |
| Everyone enjoyed the 1st Annual SWCC Rock 'n Run - Party in the Park on Saturday, October 11, 2008, which featured a neighborhood 5k run, all-day live music, food, children's activities, and more. Be sure to check this page out for more details, including RACE RESULTS & PHOTOS. |
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Recap of the Saturday, 12 July 2008 Membership Drive
A. 12 July Membership Drive estimated attendance of 90-100 people:
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| Click here for an historical park narrative written by Sterling Johnson (April 2008), in PDF format. |
| Recent Meeting Minutes Posted on the "Montrose Park" Yahoo! Group * |
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Park Meeting 4/9/08 (as posted by a neighbor on PhillyBlog.com)
*Darlene Smith called the meeting to order and announced guests. She explained that we are moving toward a transfer from RDA to the Recreation Department. Among the advantages: the recreation department will assume the insurance liability, mow, shovel snow, and handle trash removal. She expressed thanks to Anna Verna's office. The transfer paperwork is now in “the law office”, will go to City Council, resolution will be made to the public commissioner. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has done a plan for the park, something that can be adapted to a more ambitious design when funding permits. The current plan calls for a fence with openings north and south, shrubbery on the perimeter, lighting, and refuse containers. At one of the summer meetings, attendees voted on the plan, on a new name for the park, "Julian Abele Park," and for a mural. [For more on Julian Abele, see this. Fascinating Julian Abele fact: he designed and built his own furniture and did the needlepoint for the chairs! My hero!] Darlene Smith reported that they anticipate transfer of ownership in May/June, grading of the lot in May, and building in August. There will be no April 26 "spring into your park" event because of the imminence of the grading. Matt Corcoran asked for an explanation of the process, including the composition of the decision-making group. Darlene Smith mentioned Sterling Johnson, Laura Blanchard, and Loretta Tague, and indicated that there had been monthly meetings during the growing season in 2007. Laura Blanchard and Loretta Tague both explained that their involvement over the past year had been peripheral. Matt Corcoran asked if the group would be formalized, and also asked when. Sterling Johnson and Laura Blanchard explained that the Yahoo! group had been formed and information disseminated there. The e-mails to that group were then echoed to the southwest_center_city Yahoo group and to Phillyblog's southwest center city forum, both of which have public archives. Soledad Gillespie expressed concern that the group was relying too strongly on electronic communication, to the disenfranchisement of the elderly and the poor. Sterling Johnson explained the efforts the group has made to leaflet the immediate blocks. All agreed we needed more effective communication and broad-based buy-in. Paul Fontaine: PHS has raised $100K for a Phase I Park. 4 benches, 2 trash cans, 2 lighting fixtures. Q: we might like a middle arm. Lighting is biggest expense, pathways the second. There's a plan for a mural featuring portraits of Julian Abele. Voting on Bench Type and Trash Can Color: bench –everyone wants the one with the arms and we want center arms. Trash receptacles: forest green okay. Black is second choice. Arms of bench will match the trashcan. Trash: volunteers who pick up trash at the site should bring their own bag and, if possible, take it home. If there's too much trash, leave the bag at the southeast corner of the park. Phase I event (dedication? groundbreaking) brainstorming ideas
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November 28, 2007, email update from a neighbor: > Montrose Park meeting: The meeting tonight was relatively short. The > "open" plan for the park had been previously approved, and work can > begin once the "entrance permits" are obtained for the architect and > contractors. This is expected to happen in January, with actual > construction commencing in the spring. The next meeting will probably > not be until March, since little will transpire until then. |
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3 OCTOBER 2007 MEETING MINUTES:
- Welcome & Intros (including sign-in sheet) - Old Biz: (including comments/reactions to the previous mtg.) Dept. of Rec. - a partnership has been established with the office and lawn services have been provided since June 2007. Actual ownership issues are still being resolved between the RDA & the Dept. of Rec., action is anticipated shortly. Philly Car Share Movie Night (see photo) - Friends of Montrose park partnered with Philly Car Share who sponsored a movie night in the park on 1 August 2007 with the movie "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo " and underwrote all expenses - including refreshments, give-aways and liability issues. Citizen's Bank Grant and Citizen's Volunteers (see photo) - partnered with Citizen Bank who sponsored a Fall planting and clean-up in the park on 15 September 2007 and underwrote all expenses - including refreshments, volunteers and plants. - Ongoing Items: Status of Committees & Previous Action Items - New Biz/Items: Phase I of Montrose Park Construction - members of the Physical Improvement Committee meet with Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) on 16 July 2007. A 3rd alternative to the park design was discussed (vs. the 2 proposed by the Community Design Collaborative report) that would be more inline with the report's alt. B as there would be less "hardscape" (i.e. concrete, pavement, etc.) and more grass/plants/trees. Next steps included: short-term lighting solution of requesting street lamp replacement (from 1 head to 2 heads) so as to shine both on the street and in the park and developing the park's theme. On 20 September, members of the Physical Improvement Committee met members of PHS in the park to go over the 3rd alternative. Additional comments were made and incorporated into the alternatives, which were then presented at the 3 October meeting for comments by the group as a whole. Honoring local noted architect Julian Abele, the park will echo his Beaux Arts style and be reflected at the entrances, park items and potentially the wall with a mural. All comments (including selection of the desired alternative) were requested by 12 October, at which point they would be forwarded to PHS for finalization of the selected plan. While the final design is still being developed, expected items in the first phase to be started sometime this spring will include some underground utilities, site lighting and regrading of the property. - Misc. Items/Announcements Cobbs Creek Park-Oct. 13th, Park Hours - support of the Friends of Cobbs Creek Park, members were encouraged to participate in their park clean-up on 13 October 2007. - Adjourned (Note: Tentative date for next meeting is Wednesday, 28 November 2007, agenda to be provided later) |