Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and local elected officials unveiled the installation of the new FDR Park sign at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia.
Now on concrete footing, the large F, D and R letters made of stainless steel have a sleek design with colored edges.
The “F” is 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 5 feet, 1 inch wide; the “D” is 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 6 feet, 7 inches wide; and the “R” is 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 7 feet, 1 inch wide. The sign was manufactured by and will be installed by M.S. Signs.
The installation is part of the Gateway Plaza project, the third of three projects in the Gateway Phase of the $250 million, 10-year FDR Park Plan developed by Fairmount Park Conservancy in partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.
The sign follows previous phases that brought the Anna C. Verna Playground at FDR Park, which opened one year ago. The second phase includes the new Welcome Center at FDR Park, which is scheduled for completion in 2025.
The new sign is the first installment of the third and final project in the Gateway Phase, known as the Gateway Plaza. It is described as a new welcoming pedestrian-focused entryway into FDR Park from the intersection at Broad and Pattison, to better connect the park to SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, regional trail and transportation networks, including I-95, and the Schuylkill River Trail. The $6 million Gateway Plaza broke ground in April 2024 and is targeted for completion in spring 2025.
Once completed, the Gateway Plaza will also feature wayfinding information to help visitors navigate the park, misters for cooling off on a warm day, seating groves with benches, 81 newly planted native trees, rain gardens that feature native plants and flowering understory canopy to absorb stormwater and bike racks, and raised pedestrian crossing at the park loop road.
