Franklin Park Borough is expanding its greenspace with a successful purchase of land off Big Sewickley Creek Road.

The newly purchased property is approximately 25 acres, located across from Linbrook Park, next to the borough’s recently installed community gardens, according to borough Manager Rege Ebner.

He and Franklin Park Mayor O’Keefe said the plan is to keep the newly purchased space green.

“It’s a gorgeous property. It takes your breath away,” O’Keefe said.

As part of the sales agreement, the tract will feature passive recreation, such as trails and picnic tables.

“Repeatedly, the No. 1 issue with residents was preserving greenspace,” Ebner said.

A joint comprehensive plan that Franklin Park is completing with Ohio Township falls in line with what residents have been asking.

The borough closed on the property on Sept. 29 for $867,500. It is directly adjacent to approximately 10.5 acres of land purchased in November 2020, which is now the site of the borough’s community gardens.

There is a house and log cabin on these properties, which date back more than a century. The architect analyzing the log cabin found newspaper in the walls from 1832, Ebner said.

They hope to make these structures available for public use, he said.

Allegheny Land Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving green space, owns property directly adjacent to Linbrook Park in an area called Linbrook Woodlands. This site consists of 181 acres within Franklin Park, according to the land trust.

Ebner said the borough is working with Allegheny Land Trust and Allegheny Green Web for trail connectivity to the properties.

Allegheny Green Web is a nonprofit that seeks to develop a network of publicly accessible trails and green spaces that connect Allegheny County and municipal parks.

Other areas of the Franklin Park are being studied. A “substantial upgrade” is being made to 25-acre Acorn Park located off of McGee Road, Ebner said.

Along with replacing some asphalt and other maintenance work, the borough is putting in a 5-foot-wide biking/hiking trail. There will also be an outdoor classroom, updated playground and benches.

Officials hope to have it completed by fall of 2024.

“It’s never been well-used. We want to turn that into a more recreation destination,” he said.

The community gardens will continue next planting season with slight modifications to the soil and perhaps raised beds, O’Keefe said. Residents applied to use one of the 10 plots for gardening this past summer.

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