Mayor Kenney and Council President Clarke join Independence Visitor Center Corp. and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to celebrate the opening of the New LOVE Park Visitor Center

PHILADELPHIA, PA – With generous support provided by Bank of America and the William Penn Foundation, the Independence Visitor Center Corporation (IVCC) and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation have partnered to develop an information services kiosk in LOVE Park, adjacent to the historic Welcome Center building. After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LOVE Park Visitor Center officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 11, 2021.
Since 1960, when the Fairmount Park Welcome Center first opened under its original name as the “Philadelphia Hospitality Center,” the LOVE Park site has provided community and visitor services. Its location makes it a natural hub: a point of entry from Suburban Station; a connector from Center City to the cultural institutions along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; and a gateway to Fairmount Park.
In 2010, the brand equity of the location as a welcome center remained strong. In response to continued high demand for onsite information services, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation partnered with the IVCC to operate an information desk inside the Welcome Center until the building and LOVE Park closed for renovations in 2016.
When renovations eliminated the information desk space inside the historic Welcome Center building, the IVCC and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation retained SMP Architects to explore alternate options for providing civic engagement and visitor services at LOVE Park. After conducting a feasibility study, SMP Architects determined a stand-alone kiosk with a minimal footprint could be installed to accommodate the IVCC’s operations and effectively restore public information services. SMP designed the new kiosk to invite visitors in and respond to the existing architecture in LOVE Park.
As the presenting partner of the LOVE Park Visitor Center, Bank of America has also supported the overall revitalization of LOVE Park. Bank of America’s support of the LOVE Park Visitor Center is in alignment with its long history of investing in communities across Philadelphia and the nation to help positively shape their diverse communities.
Goals of the new LOVE Park Visitor Center include:
Foster collaborative information-sharing through multi-lingual staffing and excellent customer service;
Serve the public’s diverse needs through innovative and accessible design;
Support local arts and culture and historic institutions with meaningful stakeholder involvement;
Elevate information services offered in an engaging and welcoming environment;
Enhance an important civic asset and community resource in a historic location;
Act as a resource for school groups, educators, city employees, and the local community; and
Strengthen communications with meaningful public initiatives for both residents and visitors.
“Bank of America’s support of the LOVE Park renovations demonstrates our ongoing commitment to helping local communities thrive,” said Jim Dever, President, Bank of America Greater Philadelphia. “We look forward to the reopening of the Visitor Center, which will help LOVE Park maintain its legacy as an iconic gathering place for Philadelphia residents, workers, and visitors.”
“We are most grateful to our partners, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the City of Philadelphia, the William Penn Foundation, and our presenting sponsor, Bank of America, for enabling us to return to LOVE Park,” said James J. Cuorato, President and CEO, Independence Visitor Center Corporation. “We look forward to bringing the same high-quality brand of visitor services to our kiosk that has earned us accolades at the Independence Visitor Center.”
“LOVE Park is our grand entrance to Fairmount Park, and one of Philadelphia’s most iconic public spaces,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner. “The new LOVE Park Visitor Center adds so much to the warm Philly welcome visitors receive when they arrive at the base of our beautiful Parkway. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Bank of America, and our partners at the Independence Visitor Center Corporation and the William Penn Foundation for your commitment to high-quality public spaces.”
“City Council is proud to support this important next step in the revitalization of LOVE Park, the LOVE Park Visitor Center,” said Darrell L. Clarke, Council President, Philadelphia City Council. “We look forward to additional revitalization steps regarding LOVE Park. One strategic step at a time, Center City is coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic. We don’t want to see a return to the old normal, we need a New Normal, where diversity, equity, and opportunity for all our residents are nourished and energetically supported. This is a good day for our city.”