Vare Recreation Center

Philadephia, PA

Meliora Design provided civil engineering and permitting services for redevelopment of the Vare Recreation Center, as part of a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia and the Make the World Better Foundation. The project includes construction of a new 19,000 square foot (sf) LEED Silver recreation center building and improvements to outdoor play areas, including a 69,000-sf artificial turf field, 16,000 sf of green space, a 6,000-sf playground comprised of porous play surfaces, new basketball courts, and a water spray area. New sidewalks, curb cuts, sidewalk trees, and ADA ramps were also provided.

Meliora designed a large subsurface stormwater storage bed to manage impervious surfaces and provided a new water connection to rejuvenate the existing pool. In collaboration with the Philadelphia Water Department, an additional stormwater connection was provided from Vare to proposed green infrastructure downstream at Lanier Park. Meliora was responsible for the design of the site civil improvements and also provided engineering support for the demolition of the existing building, which included special environmental remediation for contaminated soils for community safety