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Barry Young wasn’t sure what to make of the shiny new red booths on the border of LOVE Park.
“Maybe the structure is just a different view of the LOVE Park area,” Young said. “Just for visitors to come and take a look and sit and view how the people come and go.”
Young isn’t far off.
Those mysterious new structures are what the city is calling streeteries, designed to give restaurants space for outdoor dining while separating customers from traffic. The two outside LOVE Park are prototypes the city is putting before the public before eventually making the designs available for Philadelphia restaurants to download for free.
The city spent $120,000 to research, design, build and install the two prototypes, according to acting Commerce Director Karen Fegely. The contract with local firms Otto Architects and Shiftspace Design also covered greenery, drawings and a catalog of parts businesses could use to construct their own versions.
Fegely said the project came in response to restaurant owners who told the city that building an attractive streetery while meeting city, state and federal regulations can be difficult and expensive. Crash-worthy barriers, accessibility requirements and other safety rules can sometimes force businesses to revise designs multiple times before receiving approval.
“The prototypes are designed to make it easier and more affordable for restaurants to install licensed streeteries that meet all requirements,” Fegely said.
One prototype uses rust-free aluminum panels folded around protective traffic barriers. The aluminum can be left bare, painted or wrapped in custom vinyl, and the design can include a platform providing level access from the sidewalk.
The other uses recycled plastic slats attached to aluminum ribs over protective barriers. Restaurants could swap in other materials or accessories, including planters, and a wider endcap can accommodate double barriers or concrete planters.
The city has not yet released an estimated price for restaurants to build either design. Fegely said officials expect to have a better idea of standard pricing after evaluating the pilot.
Using one of the city-approved designs should make the licensing process easier, she said, although restaurants would still have to meet requirements tied to their location and site conditions.
There are currently just 33 active streetery licenses in Philadelphia as of Oct. 7, according to the city.
Philadelphians can provide feedback on the prototypes’ safety, comfort, appearance, layout and fit through QR codes placed on the streeteries. Those who respond can enter a drawing for a $50 gift card.
“Public feedback will help the city understand what works well and what could be improved,” Fegely said. Whatever changes are made, she said, the final designs will still have to comply with the city’s streetery regulations.
The streeteries were installed Oct. 6, the coldest day yet of Philadelphia’s early autumn season and a little too late, if you ask Portia King, who walked past them Wednesday. Temperatures were in the mid-50s, made crisper by a light breeze.
“It’s cute, but they need to run it back in like May,” King said. “Right now they need a little warming booth because it’s a little nippy out here.”
The city expects to finalize the designs this winter. The last day to submit public feedback is Nov. 23 at 11:59 p.m.
