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Chester parks director outlines maintenance gains, expanded food program and upcoming projects
Summary
Parks Director Mark Alexander told council the department now manages 27 parks and 4 city facilities, increased efficiency with new equipment, doubled summer food distribution to about 6,000 meals and is planning playground, trail and amphitheater upgrades with partners including the Philadelphia Union and Kevin Durant.
Mark Alexander, director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, presented the department’s quarterly accomplishments to Chester City Council on Nov. 12, highlighting operational gains, community programs and planned capital work.
Alexander said the department manages 27 parks, five monuments and four city-owned facilities and that a recently purchased tri-deck mower reduced labor hours—for example, Chester Park (72 acres) now takes 3.5 days to maintain instead of five. He credited the equipment with freeing staff time for other maintenance tasks across the city.
The parks department also reported expanded summer services. Alexander said the department’s summer food program served roughly 250 children daily and distributed about 6,000 meals this year, double last year’s total of about 3,000. "I would say that was money well spent," Alexander said, describing outreach and vendor coordination that kept meals available when demand exceeded projections.
Alexander outlined near-term capital and partnership projects: a new playground and restroom upgrades at Sun Village Recreation Center, an amphitheater upgrade at Chester Park, and a Crozer Park trail and reforestation project in collaboration with local partners. He also noted a renovation of courts at 7th & Penn in partnership with Love Football, the Philadelphia Union Foundation and Kevin Durant, with completion timelines in January for some projects and February 2026 for the new Public Works Building.
Councilors and residents responded with praise and questions about staffing and maintenance plans as more small pocket parks come online under the vacant-lot program. Alexander thanked staff and partners and noted that state and county support helped the department meet unexpected costs and scale services.
What happens next: Staff will continue project planning, coordinate grant and partnership deliverables, and provide progress updates to council.
