As of this December, the Rec renovation is set to proceed after an 11-month stalemate with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) over obtaining a rainwater permit. Without it, construction has been severely delayed, and the date of its completion was unknown. However, Frank Aloise, Chief Financial Officer and manager of the Rec project, has confirmed that they have obtained the permit and that construction is set to conclude around mid-April, just in time for the spring musical.
Without the permit from the PWD, which Aloise first requested in December 2024, the renovation of The Rec has been limited to minor interior renovations. This included stripping the interior of the building, destroying non-load-bearing walls, and window demolition, all of which were completed in August. Since then, the renovation has been halted.
“In this part of the city, you have to have a stormwater management plan for any rain that falls on any building that you build, or any impervious ground that you create, so parking lots, sidewalks, and things like that,” said Aloise. Therefore, without a permit, planned additions such as the added extension could not take place, so Aloise and development had to wait for a response from the city.
“The city water permit process is extremely complicated and very difficult, and it’s known for that, not just by us,” Aloise remarked. “In the Wissahickon watershed, constructions like this typically take a very long time.” However, Aloise noted that “nothing ever took as long as this did,” referring to other projects he has managed, such as the construction of the Lower School. “I mean, it really has been a very cumbersome process.”
Now that the city has approved the permit, construction can resume with the planned renovation, with major aspects including extending the Rec for additional stage and audience space, and building a parking lot and drop-off point. Newly designed stormwater management additions have been included as well, partially paid for by two grants SCH received: one from PWD and one from the William Penn Foundation.
The stormwater management additions are meant to decrease the water runoff that occurs in the area encompassing SCH and the surrounding residential neighborhood when it rains. Currently, “there are no storm drains or pipes or anything that takes the water away,” Aloise stated. When it rains, water flows along the neighborhood streets and down to the Wissahickon Creek, contributing to flooding and carrying pollutants into the waterway.
“It all flows on top of the street. If you’ve ever been out [on Valley Green] in a rainstorm, you probably have gotten pretty wet walking down that street, right?”
Building stormwater systems under Valley Green, similar to those built under various SCH fields, will absorb runoff and redirect it elsewhere. The construction of rain gardens will also aid in absorbing rainwater.
SCH plans on improving old and building new infrastructure for stormwater management and overall ease of use as well. This includes building sidewalks along Valley Green up to the entrance of the Inn on Springfield Avenue, and a crosswalk to the Rec, making travel safer and more walkable.
One might think that additional impervious surfaces will only contribute to runoff issues; however, “For every tree we plant, we get 100 square feet of forgiveness for the sidewalk,” said Aloise, meaning that for every tree planted, SCH can put in 100 square feet of pavement. By populating the areas surrounding the Rec with green spaces, the Rec becomes both more walkable and environmentally friendly through the addition of sidewalks.
The extensive work of the administration and development offices has paid off. On May 7, 8, and 9, Players will perform Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella in their newly renovated performing arts building. Due to the immensity of the project, the admin and all who worked diligently for the benefit of the arts hope for an impressive turnout.
