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While the weather was chilly with spurts of light rain Monday afternoon, City officials were cheery unlike the last time they gathered at the FDR Park playground, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.
“I’m now remembering it was a particularly hot day,” Mayor Michael Nutter said Monday of his appearance two days after the site’s June 17 arson. “And I’ll tell you I was really hot that day, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. I was angry. I was really upset. It was one of the worst moments for me in public service.”
That day Nutter announced a partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles who promised to rebuild what was lost. He also vowed to find the culprit. Both promises had been fulfilled with Monday’s official unveiling.
Kevin Beattie, now 27, of the 2400 block of South Camac Street, was arrested five days after setting the blaze. He and a friend, who was not charged, set the fire to the eight-month-old structures and called 911 to report it, police said at the time of the incident. The pair claimed to see the doers flee, but later Beattie admitted to accidentally setting the blaze.
He pled guilty to arson Jan. 30 and is scheduled to be sentenced May 21, according to court records.
The Philadelphia Eagles donated equipment to replace the damaged section of the $306,000 play area — originally funded by the park’s trust fund and the City’s capital budget — while 2nd District Councilman Kenyatta Johnson allocated $100,000 from his activities fund and Bank of America contributed a $15,000 grant. Additionally, the team’s front office assisted with the build day four months after the destruction.
“When I tell you, in October, when we came out to actually do the playground build, [Eagles’ President] Don Smolenski himself is in his sweats out here building the playground, it’s absolutely incredible to see,” Kathryn Ott Lovell, Fairmount Park Conservancy’s executive director, said noting her organization plans to devote hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements to the park with hopes of making it a regional destination.
“This is really a group collaborative effort that has come together with a tremendous outcome, and we’re all very, very proud of it,” Smolenski added on the playground effort. “And for that, the Eagles are grateful to have been a part of this.”
Although the ribbon-cutting occurred during school hours, Barbara Capozzi, the Friends of FDR Park secretary, assured spectators that the site has been packed with children since its reopening.
“I only wish that you could see it when the kids are playing. …It’s been packed for a week and it will make you very, very happy to see,” the resident of the 1900 block of Hartranft said.
Andre McCrea and his wife Tyreese McCrea headed to the park with 3-month-old daughter Tallulah in tow to witness the festivities.
“The kids play here,” Andre McCrea said. “It was frustrating when we heard [about the arson].”
While Tallulah may be too young to utilize the spot yet — and wasn’t even born when the playground was open last — the couple’s three older children — daughters Montana, 9, and Sora, 3, and son Mason, 7 — thoroughly enjoyed FDR’s playground, which is only a 10-minute walk from the family’s home at Capri Court and Reserve Drive. When the youngsters asked their parents if they could go during its 10-month absence, their mother didn’t have the heart to tell them what had happened.
“I just distracted them and took them to another park,” she said.
The pair hopes to reintroduce their offspring to the space soon and further enjoy the convenience of FDR Park where the family also plays tennis. The couple didn’t take advantage of the space upon moving to Packer Park five years ago, citing trash and “wanderers” as deterrents. The McCreas instead drove to recreational facilities, such as Weccacoe Playground, 405-25 Queen St.
“We like that Central Park, Rittenhouse feel. It’s getting there,” Andre McCrea said noting improvements to FDR Park in terms of aesthetics and safety in recent years.
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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