Allentown is one of eight urban areas to receive a grant from the Bezos Earth Fund’s Greening America’s Cities initiative. The Allentown Parknership, the city’s charitable partner for parks and recreation, has received a $4 million grant out of $100 million in total investments.
Other grant recipients include Atlanta, Cleveland, Little Rock, Los Angeles, and more. Funding will be used to create community-designed parks, large scale green spaces, and immersive outdoor areas.
In Allentown’s case, the funding is expected to positively impact thousands of lives. Franklin Park, a 1.1-acre neighborhood space between Chew and Turner Streets, will see a comprehensive regreening and renovation. The City had already allocated $725,000 in federal funding toward the project.
Mayor Matt Tuerk listed this project as an example of making changes residents want, noting that Franklin Park had spent years being treated as a forgotten “patch of concrete in a rapidly changing Allentown.”
Now it’s forgotten no more. Franklin Park, which serves more than 16,000 residents, is set to receive newly-planted trees and shade structures, dedicated child play areas, intergenerational gathering spaces, a community garden, a basketball court, restrooms, and much more. The neighborhood’s park has been a safe haven for generations of residents and a shared space for community to grow.
The Bezos Earth Fund was created by Jeff Bezos, founder, executive chairman, and former CEO of Amazon, in 2020 with the goal of “protecting and restoring the natural world.” This is the initiative’s second round of grants, with a total of $150 million in funding provided so far and a commitment to invest a total of $400 million.
