West Philly is still waiting for answers about a fire at Malcolm X Park

On Saturday March 2, a fire blazed inside of the central bathroom and storage building at West Philly’s Malcolm X Park, causing serious damage to the structure, electrical system and the mural honoring the civil rights icon. There were no injuries reported.

For now, the Parks and Recreation Department has closed and boarded up the building, including its bathroom. Because of the electrical system damage Malcolm X’s lights were out for several days, but last week, Parks and Recreation installed a temporary system to operate the park lights. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and the Philadelphia Fire Department is currently conducting an investigation.

Plans and a timeline for repairs to the building and the mural have yet to be determined, but local politicians have pledged resources to help. City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier committed $270,000 in discretionary funding forimprovements to existing facilities to restore the building, and State Rep. Rick Krajewski promised $100,000 in state funding.

“Councilmember Gauthier recognizes how important Malcolm X Park is for the West Philadelphia community ... [she] will make sure the job gets done as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson for the Councilmember said.

While the fire has not significantly affected use of Malcolm X Park , some community members have worried and speculated on social media that the blaze was an act of arson.

“We really have no idea,” said Carmela Dow, a member of the Friends of Malcolm X Park group, about the cause of the fire. She stressed the importance of waiting for the Fire Department to complete its investigation.

“This one incident is obviously really, really unfortunate and we’re just really grateful that nobody got hurt,” she said. “The park is still very much usable. We were really grateful that none of our trees were damaged.”

Dow said that Friends of Malcolm X has had preliminary discussions with Mural Arts Philadelphia about restoring the mural surrounding the building, and was encouraged by the nonprofit’s eagerness to help. According to a Mural Arts spokesperson, it is preparing to restore the mural and will begin that process, including making a timeline for restoration, once repairs have been made to the building.

“I know it’s something that we’re all wanting to make sure is either recreated if we have to redo the building or is repaired ... it’s a priority for all of us, for obvious reasons, because it’s beautiful,” Dow said.

On Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m., Friends of Malcolm X will hold a Spring park cleanup, where community members are invited to come help pick up litter and trash around the park. Councilmember Gauthier and Rep. Krajewski, as well as a representative from the Parks and Recreation Department, are expected to attend and provide updates on the fire and plans for repairs.