Time for city to rebuild

Most of the focus on Mayor Kenney's Rebuild program has been on getting it passed, with Council members tussling with the administration over control and how the projects can launch minority workers into careers in the construction trades. Those issues were resolved (at least for now) by Council's passage of the Rebuild legislation last week.

As building projects go, Rebuild isn't very sexy. The sum to be spent - $500 million over seven years - won't leave the city with some grand edifice, like the sports stadiums or the Convention Center. Instead, the money, including a $100 million grant from the William Penn Foundation, will be used to repair, restore, and, in some cases, reimagine up to 200 of the city's 400 playgrounds, pools, libraries, and recreation centers.

This program isn't merely an investment in bricks and mortar. It is crucial investment in Philadelphia's neighborhoods.

There was a time when churches were the anchors of neighborhoods, providing not only Mass or Sunday services, but also education, recreation, a space for community gatherings, festivals, and fairs. For a multitude of reasons, those days are mostly past. Now, the hub of a neighborhood is likely to be its rec center or library. Go to any rec center, especially after school, and every inch of it is likely being used: basketball in the indoor and outdoor courts, flag football and soccer on the playing field; arts and crafts in the community room, and any number of other activities.

At Starr Garden - still operating 107 years since it opened at Sixth and Lombard Streets - in addition to basketball courts, a small ballfield, and a playground, there are ceramics classes and tai chi for adults and aerobics for children.

During the day, libraries act as havens for the elderly and in the afternoons the desks will be taken over by students using it as a safe, quiet place to do homework. These facilities are a vital part of the fabric of neighborhoods, though the good they do is often taken for granted or forgotten. One purpose of Rebuild is to make up for years of neglect. The leaky roofs, the malfunctioning bathrooms, the damaged basketball courts, the worn-down, patchy playing fields will get long-needed fixes.

Outside of trash collection and police patrols, rec centers and libraries are the city's only visible presence in many neighborhoods. And, if you think residents don't care about them, try to close one down. In his first year as mayor, Michael Nutter nearly got his eyebrows singed when he tried to close libraries. He later said trying to close libraries was the worst decision he made as mayor.

Our glittering Center City is the great job creator and a magnet for tourists. It is indispensable to our economy. But neighborhoods are indispensable to the life of the city itself. Philadelphia will rise or fall on the strength and viability of these communities. And neighborhoods will rise or fall on the quality of life of the people who live within them. Playgrounds, libraries, and rec centers are key to that quality of life. The mayor and Council deserve thanks for recognizing their importance.

A version of this editorial initially appeared in the Daily News.