Philadelphia Portal powered back on in LOVE Park after vandalism, copper theft
The Brief
The Portal is powering back on in LOVE Park Friday after it was shut down in January due to damage and vandalism.
Organizers will soon be moving the Portal to a new location within the city.
The new location has yet to be announced.
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia's Portal is powered back up on Friday after it was shut down due to damage and vandalism.
The Portal will soon move to a new location within the city.
The attraction has been in the city for five months, and connects visitors to a live feed Dublin, Ireland; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Lublin, Poland.
The Portal will power back up at 8:30 a..m. and you can watch it live on Good Day Philadelphia on FOX 29 and FOX LOCAL.
The backstory
The Portal was tested in LOVE Park again on Thursday as crews worked to repair copper wires that were stolen in recent weeks. The screen was also vandalized multiple times.
Despite the damage and ongoing repairs, Portal organizers told FOX 29 they planned to turn the portal back on even though the screen was still damaged. Although the view may be distorted, officials say the screen can still operate with damaged glass.
Organizers say the Portal was designed to withstand 100 mph winds, hurricanes, storms, and floods, so damaged glass won't stop it from operating.
The Portal has been powered off since early January, when the damage and vandalism first began.
What's next
The Portal will move to a new location in Philadelphia in a couple of weeks, and should have a new piece of glass in no time.
So, why is the damaged Portal turning back on in LOVE Park in the meantime? Officials say it's all about resilience.
"Just like the rest of Philadelphians, we're resilient. You can knock us down, but we'll get back up and keep fighting," said Grover Washington of The Portal Organization.
It's still unclear where the Portal is moving, but officials have assured Philadelphians that it will stay in the city.
"There are three potential locations," said Joe Callahan, director of the Portals Organization. "Those three locations are within the city—public property with one and the other two are private areas with public access within the city. Can you say where the three are? I'd rather not because right now they're wanting to liaison themselves for keeping the portal on their property, and it'll be in that location for a year."
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Philadelphia Portal powered back on in LOVE Park after vandalism, copper theft
The Brief The Portal is powering back on in LOVE Park Friday after it was shut down in January due to damage and vandalism. Organizers will soon be moving the Portal to a new location within the city. The new location has yet to be announced. PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia's Portal is powered back up on Friday after it was shut down due to damage and vandalism. The Portal will soon move to a new location within the city. The attraction has been in the city for five months, and connects visitors to a live feed Dublin, Ireland; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Lublin, Poland. The Portal will power back up at 8:30 a..m. and you can watch it live on Good Day Philadelphia on FOX 29 and FOX LOCAL. The backstory The Portal was tested in LOVE Park again on Thursday as crews worked to repair copper wires that were stolen in recent weeks. The screen was also vandalized multiple times. Despite the damage and ongoing repairs, Portal organizers told FOX 29 they planned to turn the portal back on even though the screen was still damaged. Although the view may be distorted, officials say the screen can still operate with damaged glass. Organizers say the Portal was designed to withstand 100 mph winds, hurricanes, storms, and floods, so damaged glass won't stop it from operating. The Portal has been powered off since early January, when the damage and vandalism first began. What's next The Portal will move to a new location in Philadelphia in a couple of weeks, and should have a new piece of glass in no time. So, why is the damaged Portal turning back on in LOVE Park in the meantime? Officials say it's all about resilience. "Just like the rest of Philadelphians, we're resilient. You can knock us down, but we'll get back up and keep fighting," said Grover Washington of The Portal Organization. It's still unclear where the Portal is moving, but officials have assured Philadelphians that it will stay in the city. "There are three potential locations," said Joe Callahan, director of the Portals Organization. "Those three locations are within the city—public property with one and the other two are private areas with public access within the city. Can you say where the three are? I'd rather not because right now they're wanting to liaison themselves for keeping the portal on their property, and it'll be in that location for a year."
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