On March 4th, the Whitpain Township Board of Supervisors awarded contracts in connection to construction of park improvements at Wissahickon Park in the West Ambler neighborhood of the township. Prior to the meeting, an open house was held to share final park plans with the community.

Wissahickon Park was closed in the mid-1980s due to asbestos contamination. The park’s property was on a portion of the BoRit Asbestos Site, which was used from the early 1900s to the late 1960s to dispose of asbestos-containing materials.

The reopened park will feature playing courts, a grass volleyball court, a tot-lot playground for children ages 2-5, a separate playground for older children ages 5-12, and a half-mile paved walking trail around the perimeter of the park. To enhance accessibility, there will also be sidewalk installations and ample parking.

For more than a decade, the township has worked to reopen the park once the US Environmental Protection Agency completed remediation on the site. The township’s website states, “Due to environmental concerns, this has been a lengthy process, and the Township has worked cooperatively with the EPA, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the US Army Corps of Engineers to ensure public safety before, during, and after construction.” In mid-2024, the township received approval from the regulatory agencies to move forward with the work needed to reopen the park.

Planning for the reopened park followed community discussions about the park at West Ambler Revitalization meetings and parking planning meetings. To help pay for the construction, the township secured federal and state grants totaling $2.5 million, and it has allocated $1 million to support park construction.

Construction is scheduled to start in the spring of 2025.

Photo: Whitpain Township