The proposed site of the Swatara Street Park at S. 15th and Swatara streets in Harrisburg.
A Harrisburg neighborhood may soon have a new park.
Local climate change activist Char Magaro has plans to transform a vacant lot at S. 15th and Swatara streets into a green space for the community.
On Saturday, April 15, she is inviting residents to the site for a community forum to discuss plans and gather input.
Magaro’s proposal for the Swatara Street Park includes planting trees, shrubs and pollinator plants and eventually adding recreational elements such as a playground or sports equipment.
“When it’s complete, it will serve a lot of the needs of the community,” she said.
Magaro chose the site for her park after reading Tri County Community Action’s “Heart of the Hill” plan, which outlines beautification priorities for South Allison Hill, based on community outreach. The vacant lot on Swatara Street was one of the organization’s top priorities, Magaro said.
Swatara Street Park site plan
The Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority owns most of the lot and has partnered with Magaro on the park project. A smaller portion is owned by private owners and will only be developed once she is able to acquire the land.
Magaro has already received a grant from the Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape for the planning stage of the project and plans to apply for additional grants to fund the park creation. She has partnered with the Harrisburg Parks Foundation to raise funds.
Planting at the site is slated to take place at the end of the summer, Magaro said.
Additionally, adjacent to the park, a community garden will be created in partnership with Capital Region Water, Magaro explained.
The half-acre park will aim to combat environmental justice issues and climate change, Magaro explained. Trees will produce shade and lower temperatures, and the project will preserve land that is on a bird migration corridor. It will also provide green space to an underserved community in the city, she explained.
Addressing climate change has long been a passion of Magaro’s, but throughout the years, she’s been frustrated by the lack of concrete change and action.
For Magaro, creating a park was the perfect way to make a difference.
“I needed to do something for my community,” she said. “But more importantly, I needed to see something come to fruition. Hopefully this is the first of many parks.”
The Swatara Street Park community meeting will take place on April 15 at 11 a.m. at S. 15th and Swatara streets.
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