February 11, 2016

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the Turner team managing the
redevelopment of Philadelphia’s iconic Love Park—officially known as JFK
Plaza—and other project team members gathered to celebrate the start of the project with a groundbreaking
ceremony.
“You don’t get many opportunities to work on a project as
highly visible as this one,” said Kevin Cooke, vice president and general
manager of Turner’s Special Projects Division in Philadelphia. “In a lot of ways
this park represents the heart of Philadelphia and we are truly excited to
breathe new life into it.”
The 50-year-old park gets its name from
Robert Indiana’s now-ubiquitous LOVE sculpture. Set against the picturesque
backdrop of a large fountain, which is often dyed to mark special events or
occasions, the sculpture has been the site of countless photos and selfies by
visitors and locals alike. In addition to being a destination for
camera-wielding tourists and romantics of all stripes, the park—largely
hardscaped—is considered hallowed ground by the international skateboarding
community, though skateboarding has been banned there since
1995.
Following the project, visitors will notice significantly more
green and accessible space, as the abundant hardscapes will be replaced with
grass and rain gardens. The fountain will also be refreshed, and a more modern
design with an LED-lit splash pad will form the new backdrop for the LOVE
sculpture.
In a surprise announcement at the groundbreaking ceremony, new
Mayor Jim Kenney invited residents to enjoy the park’s original design before
the transformation, declaring that the skateboarding ban would be lifted until
February 15. “Come back for one more spin,” he said.