Watch CBS News

Philadelphia's Love Park, Iconic Statue Ready For Renovation

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — Philadelphia's Love Park, and its namesake Robert Indiana statue, are gearing up for some sprucing up.

The city broke ground Wednesday on a $16.5 million, year-long renovation of the photogenic tourist attraction.

Kathryn Ott Lovell, the city's parks and recreation commissioner, says the iconic LOVE statue will be moved across the street to City Hall's Dilworth Plaza in the next few weeks. It's unclear how long it will stay there.

She says the statue itself needs about four months of renovations.

The new Love Park will have more green space, a new fountain and a food and beverage operation.

The current park is a skateboarding haven, and Mayor Jim Kenney urged skaters to use it until it closes February 15, telling them they are the part of the park's "fabric."

He says granite removed during the renovation will be donated to skate parks across the city.

"We're going to lift the ban on skating here and allow folks to come back and experience this place one more time before it goes under construction," said Mayor Jim Kenney.

Mayor Kenney made the announcement at a groundbreaking for the long-planned renovation of the park. Fences for the project go up Monday so skating will be short-lived but Jessie Rendell of the Franklin's Paine Skateboard Park Fund, who helped convince the mayor, says he's thrilled.

"It's incredibly hard for the lay person to understand but it is the equivalent of one of the seven wonders of the world to skateboarders," said Rendell.

Skateboarder Brian Leddy says he's been skating there anyway, risking the $300 fine, to slide on the steps and grind the ledges.

"It's great that we can do it the next couple days but it's bittersweet. It should have happened a long time ago," said Leddy.

 

KYW's Pat Loeb contributed to this report.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.