Renovations on the way for Clark Park

A prettier Clark Park may be in the near future.

With a local architect at the helm and newly unveiled designs, proposed renovations of Clark Park may begin as early as late spring.

The park's pathways, lighting and center plaza will all get overhauls as part of a plan to revitalize the aging park.

"It's one of the most active parks in the city. It's so well-loved and used that it's starting to suffer," said Bryan Haynes, the West Philadelphia landscape architect who is in charge of the project.

And it's starting to show. Torn-up sidewalks, burnt-out lights and dying trees are among the park's most pressing issues.

The park hasn't seen significant renovations since the 1950s, said Frank Chance, chairman of Friends of Clark Park, a local organization dedicated to maintaining the park, which was established in 1895.

The group sees the park's problems as more than just an aesthetic challenge.

"The rain water doesn't soak in well because the soil is compacted and trees suffer from drought," Chance said. "When water nourishes trees, it lowers the temperature in the summer."

To mitigate this, the new plan replaces the impermeable concrete plaza and pathways with gravel ones.

Broadened sidewalks will accommodate the Clark Park Farmer's Market that brings in hundreds of shoppers every week.

The new center plaza will eventually include a fountain and moveable tables and chairs. Fewer pathways will allow for larger green spaces.

The plans are more about "making accommodations," Haynes said, rather than creating a new vision for the park.

The state department of Conservation and Resources will provide a $225,000 grant, which will be matched by the city, in order to fund the project.

The FOCP will contribute another $75,000.

Because of financial constraints, the design is only directed at Park A, an area of Clark Park that stretches from Baltimore Avenue to Chester Street, bordered by 43rd and 44th streets.

Earlier designs by another architect fell through before FOCP hired Haynes.

"The previous planner pushed beyond the scope of what he was prepared to do for what he was going to be paid," Chance said. "Bryan and his wife are both landscape architects, live in the area and know the park."

Haynes said he has enjoyed the project, even if there's a little more pressure than usual.

"I have to stand by my work because I'm doing this work for my neighbors and they know where I live," he said.

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