Brookdale Park Will Get $930K Facelift From Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County officials have announced plans to carry out a $930,000 facelift at Brookdale Park in Montclair and Bloomfield. The renovations will take place at the park’s restroom building and the tennis court building.

Both buildings will be “completely renovated” with new ceilings, wall and floor tiles, restroom fixtures, lighting, HVAC units and landscaping, county officials said.

The comfort station is centrally located in Brookdale Park and is adjacent to the Tom Fleming Athletic Complex, the playground and meadow where soccer activities are held. The tennis court building is part of the 11-court tennis complex near the Grove Street entrance to the park.

According to county officials:

“USA Architects from Newark were awarded a $168,500 contract to design the upgrades to the restroom building and the tennis courts building. Their contract also included designing improvements to the Wally Choice Community Center in Essex County Glenfield Park. ZN Construction LLC from Saddle Brook was awarded a publicly-bid contract for $930,000 to perform the construction work. The Department of Public Works is monitoring the project to ensure delays are avoided. The project is being funded with grants from the NJ Green Acres program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund, and through the Essex County Capital Budget.”

The renovations are scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2018.

“This is another example of teamwork between the county, municipalities and residents coming together to make something special happen,” said Montclair Mayor and County Administrator Robert Jackson.

"Every season, the parks [in Essex County] get better and better," said Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia.

"We are pleased to be partnering with the Brookdale Park Conservancy, who requested the facilities be upgraded," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. "Providing adequate facilities makes our parks more user-friendly and allows the public to enjoy the open space for longer period of times and feel comfortable coming here.”

According to a county news release, other recent improvements at Brookdale Park have included:

“The synthetic grass field and rubberized running track in the Oval were completed in May 2004 and was updated with new grass and rubberized surfaces in 2014. In 2006, the meadow underwent an extensive $1.15 million renovation that included the installation of new drainage and irrigation systems, the planting of sod on the entire meadow surface and the modernization of the baseball/softball field in the northern section of the meadow. The development of the Brookdale Dog Park and the reconstruction of the 11-court tennis facility were completed in November 2007. In 2009, the Circuit Drive, the parking lots and the walking paths throughout the park were repaved. In 2014, a three-phase project to install 148 light poles at the park entranceways and around the walking paths and an 18-station fitness course were completed. In 2015, the playground was updated with new climbing apparatus and a rubberized safety surface. These projects were funded with grants from the NJ Green Acres program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. DiVincenzo has established partnerships with the Montclair United Soccer and the Brookdale Park Conservancy to obtain the grant funding.”

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Photo: Essex County