The desolate corner of 12th and Catharine streets will soon house a park — one that will be based on design ideas from the community.
The open space is on the site of the MLK housing revitalization project.
Local residents have been meeting with the Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition, the University of the Arts Industrial Design Department and Uni-Penn — the owners of the MLK site — to develop a project to meet the community’s needs.
University of the Arts students have interviewed residents and others with an interest in the park as part of the design process.
"The objective is to put all the knowledge we gather together and try to make something hands-on for the community," said one of the students, Dominik Langhammer.
The park was the brainchild of Raydell Fisher, former president of the Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition. She contacted the university about nine months ago to solicit creative input.
"The University of the Arts has been committed to this process since the beginning and has been really great working with us," said Sandra Robinson, beautification committee chair of the Hawthorne Coalition.
The benefits have gone both ways.
Jamer Hunt, director of the University of the Arts Industrial Design Department, has incorporated the park project into his curriculum. Hunt said he likes the idea of community-inspired design.
"It gives the neighborhood hope and a great chance to start strong relationships with each other, which gets me excited," he said.
The students will be involved throughout the development of the park, converting the community ideas into prototypes.
The creative ideas of the community and students will be exhibited this month at an intensive three-day design event called a charrette. The French word is used in urban planning to describe a final work by art and architecture students to meet a project deadline.
At Hawthorne’s charrette, held from Oct. 14-16, leading national and local design professionals also will make presentations. The community will discuss ideas and offer more information, which the students will use to develop 10 proposals.
On the final day of the charrette, the community will choose its top three from the 10 proposals. However, elements of several different proposals may be combined to achieve the best design.
After the community reviews the final proposal, the students will sketch a blueprint, which developers Uni-Penn will use to build the park. The goal is to have construction drawings by spring.
Robinson said the project will help fill a void of green spaces in the area.
"A final design will encourage people to come out, socialize and feel safe. This is a wonderful place to be and this park will help bring the community together."
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The kickoff of the charrette will be held Oct. 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m., at the Hawthorne Cultural Center, 12th and Carpenter streets. The design coffeehouse will be held Oct. 15, 5-8 p.m., at the cultural center. The final night of the charrette, which features the exhibition of student proposals, will be held Oct. 16, 5-8 p.m., on site at 12th and Catharine streets. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition at 215-468-6270.
