NEWARK — It’s long been an unfulfilled vision, taking more than two decades, but today Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. joined Gov. Chris Christie and other officials to kick off construction of Riverfront Park in the city’s Ironbound section. The $15 million county park is to open in June, covering 12.3 acres between the Passaic River and...
NEWARK — It’s long been an unfulfilled vision, taking more than two decades, but today Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. joined Gov. Chris Christie and other officials to kick off construction of Riverfront Park in the city’s Ironbound section.
The $15 million county park is to open in June, covering 12.3 acres between the Passaic River and Raymond Boulevard, running from Oxford Street to Brill Street.
Before about 250 people today, officials and community members lauded the park in one Newark’s most densely populated areas .
Joseph Della Fave said the 50,000 Ironbound residents desperately need parks.
"Volunteers and coaches have used every blade of grass and open space," said Della Fave, executive director of Ironbound Community Corporation.
The park will feature turf-covered soccer and baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, two playgrounds and a small parking lot. County freeholders approved a $7.6-million contract to Applied Landscape Technologies of Montville on July 14 to build the park. DiVincenzo said yesterday environmental remediation is underway at the onetime industrial site, and the park will open June 1, 2012.
The Port Authority provided a $7.7 million site-acquisition grant, and DiVincenzo heaped praise upon Christie, calling him "a good friend" as a nod to the $1.35 million in state Green Acres funds for the park.
The park is part of a larger vision for Newark’s waterfront.One facet of that plan calls for a linear park stretching west from the new park about half-a-dozen blocks along the river. It would connect with another riverfront park to be built by the city across Raymond Boulevard from existing Riverbank Park, said Stefan Pryor, deputy mayor of economic development. Pryor attended on behalf of Mayor Cory Booker.