Kensington Library and Park Break Ground on $21.7 Million Renovation
Philadelphia broke ground last week on a $21.7 million renovation of the McPherson Square Library and Park in Kensington, a sweeping overhaul of the historic Carnegie library and the six-acre park around it. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker joined city officials and residents at the September 28 ceremony, which coincided with her 1,000th day in office.
In a Facebook post about the groundbreaking, Parker wrote: “This should be a place Kensington can be proud of. The people of this neighborhood deserve that, and we are going to deliver it.”
The project, delivered through the city’s Rebuild program, will gut and fully renovate the 1917 library while rebuilding the surrounding park and playground. Plans call for new mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, an accessible entrance ramp and elevator, new windows, a children’s lunchroom and a teen room, plus a new playground, paths, lighting, security cameras and landscaping. A smaller first phase finished in 2025 replaced the roof, restored the copper dome and added a skylight.
The investment lands in a neighborhood long defined by the opioid crisis, and the city is pairing the construction with street-level action. Managing Director Carlton Williams said the newly launched One Philly Kensington Blitz, a multi-department cleanup moving block by block, will focus on the streets around McPherson Square so children can walk to the library safely.
Funding mixes city Rebuild dollars with state and private money, including $980,000 in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds, $800,000 from a state Local Share Account grant, $1.85 million in federal community project funding and a $100,000 foundation grant for the teen space.
“Meet me at the library, please,” said Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, whose district includes Kensington. “The symbolism of this Rebuild project at McPherson Square is enormous. It’s another way we’re showing the neighborhood that we never gave up on them.”
The library is on track for LEED Gold certification for energy efficiency and sustainable design. Rebuild is the city’s more than $500 million program to renovate parks, recreation centers and libraries across Philadelphia.
