PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Bartram’s Garden, the beloved Southwest Philadelphia green space, will receive a huge influx of cash for renovations and upgrades.
Pennsylvania state representative Regina Young presented the country’s oldest surviving botanical garden with a check for a $1 million grant Wednesday from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
The grant aims to bring the Philly staple closer to its fundraising goal for its Ecosystems Education Center. The building is projected to cost around $16 million, with $12 million having been raised so far.
The center will consist of three classrooms and a teaching kitchen, which Bartram’s Executive Director Maitreyi Roy said would allow them to become a “truly year-round space for education.”
“These spaces — not only will they support actual students who are engaged in our programs, but also be [a] space that community groups can use to do their own programming,” she said. “The garden has a chance to grow beyond its confines into the schools, and the school groups get to come here.”
According to Roy, they are currently partnered with about 40 schools and libraries.
The gardens also boast trails, horses, a farm, a dock and more. Young’s grant will also revamp the mile trail to include a pedestrian sidewalk and a dedicated bike lane.
The new project is expected to break ground next year.
The grant will go towards funding the $16 million Ecosystems Education Center construction next year, as well as trail renovations.
The grant will go towards funding the $16 million Ecosystems Education Center construction next year, as well as trail renovations.
