In 1997, as part of NKCDC’s Open Space Management program, NKCDC transformed the southeast corner of Frankford Avenue and Berks Street from a trash-strewn lot into a plant-filled Garden Center. 

Designed by the Community Design Collaborative, NKCDC staff, and local residents, the Garden center was built in only six weeks by staff, local residents, staff from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green program, and AmeriCorps members from the National Community and Conservation Corps. 

The Garden Center sparked the sustainability movement in Fishtown and the Riverwards and became a symbol of what communities can achieve through collective action. It was used for gardening supplies and environmental education until 2010, and is now an active event space.