Manhattan Square Park was built in the first and only phase of development of a 60-acre urban renewal plan, the Southeast Loop Plan. It included 15 high and mid-rise apartment buildings, as well as commercial and community facilities intended to serve 7,500 new residents. The park was meant to be the centerpiece of this development, to be viewed from above, and as an outdoor living room for high-intensity use. At the time of its completion, the park was not only acclaimed, but photographs and newspaper accounts of the period indicate that the park was heavily used and programmed with social events that contributed to its popularity. Unfortunately, as with many ambitious and failed urban renewal plans of this period, the Southeast Loop Plan left the area surrounding the park largely cleared and underutilized. The park has been used most successfully for organized activities, including concerts, special events, and ice skating. It has been less successful in attracting informal day-to-day use, related to (as both a cause and effect of) reduced operations, including the closing of the restaurant, observation tower, and fountain.

With the expansion of the adjacent Strong National Museum of Play, and the impending relocation of the corporate office of ESL to an adjacent site, renewed attention and funding has been made available for rehabilitation of the park.

The play area has been rehabilitated, reconstruction of the skating area is underway, plans to rehabilitate the fountain and the restaurant building are in progress and funding is planned for additional improvements.

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