The Albert M. Greenfield School, a well-known K-8 school in the Center City West area, is planning a total revamp of its outdoor space, which is popular among students and well-known as a community resource. The plan, which the Greenfield Home & School Association (HSA) refers to as the Greenfield Open Spaces Project, will begin initial construction this summer following many months of planning and community input from students, staff, parents, and neighbors. On Thursday, February 6^th, the HSA met virtually to discuss the results of this planning process and take additional input on the proposed design for the new outdoor space.

Last year, Greenfield began an initial phase of fundraising and outreach, conducting 15 focus groups and interviews with students, parents, and others, and distributed a survey which garnered over 500 responses. Megan Born and Josh Ketchum, two landscape architects who are also parents of Greenfield students, spearheaded the initiative to transform community input into actionable plans; as Born said, “We got an astounding amount of feedback.” Born and Ketchum organized the feedback into a PowerPoint presentation which focused on several key areas, including the following: safety, greening, art, infrastructure, social and educational spaces, playground equipment, and sports & games.

The plan presented by Born and Ketchum was meticulous and detailed; as HSA at-large member Matt Thomas put it, “Greenfield is so lucky to have such a beautiful set of outdoor spaces… Rather than just slapping something down, [we took] a step back and thought about what we really want.” Born displayed a 3D rendering of the proposed outdoor space, which included upgrades to infrastructure such as a total resurfacing of the outdoor area, rebuilt tree planters, a fenced-in rain garden for environmental sustainability, revamped seating areas, and new light-poles which are taller and brighter for increased nighttime security.

In terms of recreational and educational features, the proposal incorporated an outdoor classroom with space for up to 30 students, a combined basketball and kickball court, three four-square courts, a large mural near the main entrance, and a wealth of playground equipment designed to be “straightforward, simple, and easy to maintain,” as Born put it. As Ketchum said, “the big motivator [for the project] was the surface of the playground cracking,” but other issues, such as a lack of storage space and conflicts between shared play areas, were also addressed.

After the presentation, other HSA members were given a chance to provide feedback and ask questions; the feedback was largely positive, with one HSA member, Erica Intzekostas, saying, “I’m totally blown away… it makes me want to be a kid again.” However, one concern raised by several attendees, including Inzekostas and Danni Figueroa, was the gender dynamic of the space: historically, volleyball has been very popular with the school’s female students, and the proposed renovation lacked a dedicated area for volleyball. After a brainstorming session, a tentative solution was reached to add a retractable volleyball net near the combined basketball/kickball court.

Another HSA member, Kathryn Wurges, raised a concern about the proposed vendor for the new playground equipment: the new equipment would be provided by the same vendor who made the old equipment, which was apparently lacking in quality. According to Matt Thomas, the vendor is approved by the school board, and choosing a different, non-approved vendor would impact school board funding which is necessary for the completion of the project. In terms of funding, Greenfield has so far raised about $585,000, which comprises roughly two-thirds of the funding goal set at $880,000.

As mentioned, initial construction is planned to begin this summer, but as Thomas said, “a lot of things have to go right” for that goal to be met. Reaching the fundraising goal is the primary obstacle Greenfield faces, but other barriers, such as required inspections for city permitting, still remain. However, Thomas was optimistic, continuing: “If all goes well, we will complete this project in Summer 2026.” The construction itself will be carried out by AKRF, a New York-based architecture and land development firm, which has completed similar outdoor projects such as Abingdon Park & Playground in Montgomery County, and Astoria Park & Playground in Queens, NY.

Greenfield’s outdoor space is an important resource for not only its students, staff, and parents, but also the Center City West community at large; even outside of school hours, the space is popular with local families, and this renovation promises to expand even further on an asset that has already greatly benefited the community.