PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia City Council committee gave its approval on Wednesday to a new tenant for the long-vacant Love Park building known as “the Saucer.”
The committee approved a contract with a group of partners that includes Rival Brothers Coffee, High Street Kitchen and Broad Street Brewing.
“I’m so excited that this is happening,” said Councilmember Jaime Gauthier. “Happy to see it moving forward and that we’re bringing even more vibrancy into Love Park.”
Katie Burns-Kays, business development director of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, said after two previous, unsuccessful tries to find an operator for the former Love Park Welcome Center, the city encouraged businesses to work together on a proposal.
“We were asking a lot — a day to night option,” she said. “The same person who could do coffee might not be the same person who could do lunch, who could do happy hour.”
Broad Street Brewing has already been operating the beer garden on the Saucer grounds. “The owners were out there with their own power tools building a lot of what you see in the space right now,” said Burns-Kays.
The building itself has been vacant for 10 years, since it closed for the Love Park renovation. Burns-Kays said there may be some activity inside the circular, glass structure in conjunction with the Christmas Village.
“They seem like they’re going to be really wonderful partners,” she said, “and I’m really optimistic and looking forward to another ten years of a really wonderful amenity to the park.”
