Signs of Progress: a Capital Project Update!

Did you know the Friends staff works actively with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP) to advocate for needed capital improvements in Patterson Park? Thanks to the work of our legislative team in Annapolis, the park has been the beneficiary of significant Program Open Space funds from the state of MD being designated for improvements tied to the park’s  2016 master plan. This dedicated funding allows us to help the city prioritize those projects while being mindful of the additional priorities they are working to address here in Patterson Park and citywide.

There has been a lot going on behind the scenes so let’s look at all the ways the park is improving! You can also find project updates on the city’s website at this link: https://bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/projects-and-improvements

Recently Completed by BCRP:

Linwood Avenue Playground – The playground recently received significant work to prepare the surface under the mulch to make it safer for users and make the edging more consistent to better hold the mulch. There was significant root growth caused by trees that were at the end of their life, so that has been addressed, and the equipment has been fixed! A new heavy layer of mulch has prepared it for the winter season, so we hope to see you out on the swings! The city has agreed to monitor the need for new shade structures after the tree removal so please reach out to us with concerns at friends@pattersonpark.com or report issues to 311.

Happening Now:

Baltimore Street and Lakewood Avenue Entrance (BCRP) – This entrance was designated a master plan priority and will receive upgrades to the bollards, the pathways, the sidewalks, the lighting and entrance structures and the paths. The city will be creating space for an entrance garden and the Friends has been facilitating communication with the Patterson Park Public Charter School to help them plan for their usage during this project.

Baltimore Street and Luzerne Avenue Entrance (BCRP) – This entrance will receive new signage and have the barriers replaced. The city is planning to install a gate to limit vehicular traffic in the park as well. This project will follow the completion of the Lakewood entrance and is designated a master plan priority project.

Marble Fountain (FPP) – We’re still in the final stages of work on the fountain. Our contractor’s investigation revealed that several of the interior copper pipes that feed water through the system were installed improperly and were bent instead of being cut to size. This has allowed the pipes to be more easily damaged. We are going to be installing new piping under the base that will better adapt to changing temperatures, but that will require permissions from the city that are in process. We are very mindful that this work be done well and will plan for the fountain to return in the early spring.  

Basketball Courts (BCRP) – The courts have been resurfaced and are in the final stages of having the fencing repaired. The city will be reinstalling nets and backboards before the end of the calendar year. Plans for a mural on the courts continue and final painting of lines and the mural will happen in the summer of 2022.

What’s Next:

Boat Lake Dredging and Improvements (BCRP)  - Initial assessments by consultants provided a scope of work that will include a partial dredging of the lake and significant work on addressing the invasive plant species. Improvements to the boardwalk will also be part of the project. The work will not require that wildlife be completely removed from the lake. This project is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2022.

Community Programming Space, Volunteer Support Center, and Courtyard (FPP) – The Friends is excited that 2022 will see the start of the second phase of our capital project. This builds on our successful completion of the renovation of the park superintendent’s house where we have our offices. Our next phase will see the addition of new construction to better support park programs and volunteers. We are building on a $1 million grant for this project and seeking to raise an additional $500,000. Construction is set to begin in the fall of 2022 and be completed by the summer of 2023. To learn more visit the project’s webpage here.

The Observatory (BCRP and FPP) - The Friends has advocated that the city plan for a review of the building’s current status and maintenance needs. This review will be done by a consultant who specializes in historic structures to ensure the scope of work is appropriate to the historic nature of the building.  

Help bring a mural to the Patterson Park basketball courts!

The Friends of Patterson Park is helping local student Darryl France implement a project to rejuvenate the Patterson Park basketball courts and add vibrant art to the space!

The purpose of this campaign is to raise funds for a mural to be installed on the basketball court. Designed by a local Baltimore artist Jordan Lawson and installed by Project Backboard employees, the hope is to raise needed funds by September so that the mural may be installed in October 2021. Darryl has already been in contact with Baltimore Recreation & Parks and laid the groundwork with them to make this happen, and they have agreed to a much-needed resurfacing of the courts in late summer so that the area will be ready for painting.

With your help and that of some local organizations, we hope to help Darryl get this done!

Project Backboard is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help people renovate and paint their neighborhood basketball courts in order to bring a sense of community and fun. They bring the needed expertise to this project, having implemented these murals in many cities. Campaign costs will cover all materials and equipment, and will support Project Blackboard's travel to the site and completion of the mural.

Darryl France, the organizer of this project, is a senior at the Park School of Baltimore. He says, "The reason that I am tackling this project is because Patterson Park is very important to me. I have been going to the park since I was very young and have always enjoyed it. But one part that I always felt needed improvement were the basketball courts!"

Here's Darryl to fill you in on the project:

Have an interest in providing corporate funding for this endeavor? Reach out to friends@pattersonpark.com to start the conversation!

Thanks for helping Darryl and the Friends of Patterson Park get this done for park users!

Note: Donations to this campaign are not considered Friends of Patterson Park membership gifts. If you'd like to support our work in Patterson Park by becoming a member, please visit our donation page.

Be part of the Park's future...volunteer!

The Friends of Patterson Park Board & Committees help guide the work of the Friends.

If you’ve been a Friends of Patterson Park member for a bit, you might know Katie plays original songs about the Park on her ukulele, in addition to planning all those programs; Lesley is our bird and tree expert, in addition to keeping the books; Shannon coordinates membership, and plans events like the Holiday Observatory Lighting; Emma is running volunteer events and learning all about the park; and Jennifer is our fearless leader - but do you know the Friends of Patterson Park Board?

Among other activities, the FPP Board is responsible for developing the Friends’ mission, helping the organization achieve that mission and adopting an annual budget. Some Board members chair committees; for instance, Malindi chairs the capital projects committee, and works closely with Jennifer to oversee the White House renovation (and teaches Zumba!). As chair of the finance committee, Mitch works with Lesley to evaluate our financial health and forecast future revenues and expenditures. And Shara chairs the development/membership committee, who among other things planned our East Baltimore Olympics. And that’s not all! Our board does not just advocate for Patterson Park; our advocacy committee meets with other Friends groups from other parks in the city to share opportunities and ideas.

It’s important to know that your board works hard, but we also want to share why we care about Patterson Park.

During a recent Board meeting, we talked about our experiences with the Park, and what makes it special to us. Board members shared that the green space provides a gathering space for the surrounding community, even in the center of a major city. “The green space and oasis right in the city brings together the best of both worlds.”

We talked about why the Friends of Patterson Park exists. We found that our strength lies in our partnerships - as the only nonprofit solely dedicated to Patterson Park, we have the privilege of working with local organizations like SoutheastCDC, Creative Alliance, and Citywide partners like WYPR, to bring programming and events to Patterson Park.

Finally, we tried to imagine what Patterson Park might be like if Friends of Patterson Park did not exist today. Some board members remember the Park before the Friends existed, and some are newer to the community, but all of us agree that given the limited resources in Baltimore City, the Park would not be as vibrant without the Friends. One unique role that the Friends plays is ensuring that the Park has something for everyone - in part, that means ensuring that one activity or sport does not take up space that cannot be used by someone else (imagine a Park with only paid sports leagues for adults, and no space for free youth soccer). 

The 137 acres of green space that is Patterson Park is truly the Best Backyard in Baltimore, and Friends of Patterson Park works to keep it that way, for our whole community.

If you share our passion for Patterson Park, please consider joining a committee of the Friends of Patterson Park Board

We have several committees, including capital projects, finance, development/membership, and advocacy. If you’re not sure how much time you can commit but you know you’d like to get involved, there are always opportunities to volunteer at events. Fill out the form below to let us know you’d like to learn more!

Equity in Baltimore's Mowing Contract

Baltimore City has updated its $4.5 million mowing contract to be more competitive and equitable. This year, rather than awarding one vendor the entire contract, the mowing solicitation was set up for multiple awards, based on geographic areas, for qualified bidders. Now, the $4.5 million will be redistributed in a way that gives small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses in Baltimore City an opportunity to bid on this substantial contract.

Improving the procurement policy is one way that the City government works to improve equity. In Baltimore City, equity is defined as closing the gaps in policy, practice and allocation of resources so that race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and income do not predict one’s success, while also improving outcomes for all. In his 2021 State of the City address, Mayor Scott specifically mentioned making the City’s procurement process “more equitable for the women- and Black-owned local businesses right in our backyard.” One way that the City supports business owned by women and people of color is by setting goals for the amount of procurement dollars that must be spent with minority- and women-owned companies.

You have likely noticed that mowing has returned to a 7-day mowing cycle! Mowing was disrupted earlier in the spring, in part because the change to the mowing contract took longer than anticipated. In the meantime, as Friends of Patterson Park Executive Director Jennifer Robinson explained, workers from the City’s maintenance yard mowed the City’s parks.

Now that you know a bit more about the reason for the delay, we hope that you will share this post to help your neighbors understand the City’s work to create long-term, systemic solutions to our procurement process. As noted by our partner at Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP), this is an issue that spans agencies, systems, and processes citywide.

Have more questions? We’d love to hear from you! Contact friends@pattersonpark.com.

Please take a second to fill out our Mowing Survey!

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You know Friends of Patterson Park helps you connect to the park through volunteer opportunities; programs like Zumba, concerts, and Kite Festival; and fundraisers like Wine at Sunset. But we realize you may not know all the great work we do “behind the scenes!” This post is the first in a series that will highlight advocacy and community issues that Friends works on throughout the year.

What's in a name?

What’s in a name?

As we prepare to celebrate the return of seasonal traditions you may notice a small change in language that we’re using to talk about the Observatory building that Patterson Park is known for. Over the past 100 years or so, it has become attached to a nickname – “the Pagoda” – that has become common usage. As with any nickname, sometimes we grow out of them.

The Friends has recently been working with a group called Baltimore Asian Resistance in Solidarity (BARS) to take a closer look at this nickname and potential alternatives that will help tell the building’s story more clearly. The Observatory building is not a true pagoda, in the sense that pagodas have important religious and cultural connotations. It mimics the style of one, as was popular in the United States at the time of its construction in 1892.

As we move forward, the Friends will be returning to calling the building the Patterson Park Observatory – its original name - and rethinking the many ways we have used the “Pagoda” designation as shorthand. We’ll also be working on an exterior historic marker that discusses the history of the building along with additional opportunities to dive into education opportunities around the building’s history. We think these changes will benefit all park users and help us continue to make the park a more welcoming space for all visitors.

 If you’d like to read more about the BARS position and their requests related to the Observatory, please click here for their statement and here for our response. 

If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to Jennifer Robinson at friends@pattersonpark.com.

1860 Fountain Removed for Repair!

The marble fountain was removed today - 6/23/2021 - to get both exterior and interior repairs underway.!

The Friends is working with Maple Creek Landscapes as our city-approved contractor on this project. Today they brought in a company called Digging and Rigging, which specializes in crane work for these types of projects. Also on site was a representative from Architectural Stone Services who are affiliated with Barre Monument, located very near the park on Baltimore Street! They will be working to stabilize and repair the marble base and bowl. Maple Creek will be working on replacing the interior pipe as well as the pump and drainage systems. They will also add a protective layer to the bottom of the fountain that will prevent water from leaking out and make it easier to keep clean.

The last major repairs to the fountain were in 2003, so we’re excited to have the opportunity to do this project now. The Friends have worked to secure funding for this project through a Spruce-Up Grant in partnership with the Southeast CDC, and Program Open Space Funds through Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. The work is anticipated to take several weeks, but we’ll have the fountain back in place as soon as possible.

Check out this brief video of the removal!