SEAMAAC awarded $500k grant for Mifflin Square, community groups teaming up to envision the space
Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition received a $500,000 grant this summer for creating and implementing a plan for Mifflin Square, located at 6th and Ritner.
The community space represents a diverse set of residents, which is why this effort to create improvements and new programming for the park includes 17 organizations, ranging from the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia to the LoMo Civic Association.
From PlanPhilly:
“This is a very well used vibrant park that shows the diversity of South Philadelphia, but a park that hasn’t has an investment from the City and could use some resources,” said Karisa Barlow, 27, a member of the Friends group who works for Bethanna, a community agency that focuses on South Philadelphia and supports lots of kids’ activities in the park. “The swing set is damaged, the lights are out, the benches have missing boards. There’s lot of people to come play different sports, but we don’t have good playing surfaces. A there’s a need for more trash and recycling bins.”
“More sitting areas, maybe some sitting areas around the volleyball courts,” adds Rebecca Wanner, a member from LoMo and the Friends group. “And a self service push button for the water sprinkler” to cool off in summer.
There also seems to be broad agreement with adding a community garden, and more trees and flowers all around the park.
Designs for the park are expected to be available for community viewing and comment by January. Smaller improvements to the park could begin as soon as May.
