Deteriorating Phila. Parks And Rec Centers Could Benefit From Large Investment
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney will propose a $300-Million bond issue in his first budget address, according to officials in his administration.
Where will that money go?
In his eight years in charge of Parks and Rec, Mike DiBerardinis struggled daily against cumulative effects of tight budgets.
"Fixing roofs and patching boilers and patching fences and jerry-rigging pumps in pools so you could open them on time," he says.
DiBerardinis says it's no coincidence that, now that he's managing director, the new administration is planning possibly the largest public infrastructure investment in city history. If it succeeds in getting voter approval for the bond issue, it hopes to use it to attract another $200-Million in state, federal and private funding to create a renewed system.
"Places that excite and attract people, where they want to be with their families, where kids want to be," he says.
DiBerardinis believes such a system could stimulate neighborhoods economically and socially.