March 18, 2024
Jon Tuleya/PhillyVoice
A Rittenhouse Square project will address runoff and soil compaction, while building stronger root systems of the park's grass lawns.
A project restoring some of the greenery in Rittenhouse Square will close sections of the park in the coming years.
Rittenhouse, one of the city's oldest parks, will be undergoing lawn repairs over approximately four years, with different sections closing at a time to regrow root networks and give the park a strong foundation for the next generation.
This year, closures will include a large lawn along 18th Street, two sections near the entrance on 18th and Walnut streets, a small portion at the entrance at 19th and Walnut streets, and a semicircle around the middle on the south side of the park.
A $200,000 Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program grant, secured by state Sen. Nikil Saval (D-1st District) and state. Rep. Ben Waxman (D-182nd District), will fund the project. The Friends of Rittenhouse Square nonprofit group will oversee the restoration of the park's 140,000 square feet of lawns.
With an estimated 10,000 visitors daily, the square gets a lot of wear and tear. June Armstrong, executive director of Friends of Rittenhouse Square, said it's been more than 20 years since the park had any intense lawn restorations, though sections do get reseeded annually.
"The last couple of years, especially during COVID, people were able to reconnect with their parks in such a way which was fantastic, ... but it creates additional strain on our lawns [and] infrastructure," Armstrong said. "This is a project to make sure the lawns in Rittenhouse Square continue to welcome visitors for many, many years to come."
While some spots of the park are lush and green, other sections have holes with mud and dirt. "Every inch of the square is actually a little bit different," Armstrong said. Natural light, shade from the trees and foot traffic factor into conditions.
Each year, crews do spring maintenance to try to even things out. But unlike the reseeding, which takes a few weeks at a time, this project means areas of the park will likely be closed for around 18 months, according to Armstrong. Some areas will be replaced with sod and the group will be experimenting with different soil and grass seed mixes, while also addressing water runoff and soil compaction.
Establishing lush, healthy lawns means the ground needs time to heal and grow beneath the soil before it gets used, especially at such a high frequency.
"What people see is grass, but what makes grass healthy is in its roots," Armstrong said. "So establishing really good, strong root systems is the key to having sections of lawn that stay green for a very long time."
Rittenhouse Square is primarily taken care of by the Friends group and donations, which is why this project required a state grant, said Friends Board Member Nancy Heinzen. The group's last big project was replacing 160 benches in the park in 2022, though some were critical of the updated design.
But as one of the most historic parks in the city, the group said restoring the landscape is a crucial project.
"Some people come because they bring their children, a lot of elderly come because it's a lovely quiet place," Heinzen said. "It's an oasis in the city where you can come and escape traffic and noise ... and then there are people who come in to bring their dogs. It's used by everybody"
