Details Emerge for Philadelphia's LOVE Park Redo

A beloved feature of Philadelphia's JFK Plaza, also known as LOVE Park, remains intact in the latest design proposals for the redevelopment of the park.

"When JFK Plaza / LOVE Park reopens in 2017 it will feature a refreshed version of the iconic Fairmount Park Welcome Center, the round mid-century modern pavilion in the southwest corner of the park, which will be outfitted for a 'significant food and beverage operation,'" reports Ashley Hahn.

So, the final design concept unveiled earlier this week by Hargreaves Associates and KieranTimberlake includes "the saucer" that has inspired a preservationist movement known as the Saucer Watch 2015.

According to Hahn, "KieranTimberlake found the saucer – essentially a concrete umbrella – is structurally viable, and it turns out, nicely adaptable. But that’s not to say there isn’t major reconstructive surgery to be done." Hahn goes on to detail the details of the work that the saucer will require.

In addition to the public support for the project, the decision to keep the saucer made fiscal sense: "Compared to a new building of the same square footage, the saucer proved cheaper to reuse  by an estimated $1.6-$2 million. The estimated cost to renovate and outfit the building is $3.2 million, but constructing a new building of the same size on the park’s southwest corner could cost at least $4.8-$5 million."

The article includes additional discussion about the remaining design challenges facing the final design process.