$10M In Upgrades Cross Finish Line At Montclair Park

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A new, larger Wally Choice Community Center and synthetic grass surface practice football field recently opened at Glenfield Park in Montclair and Glen Ridge.

The latest improvements hit the finish line at the county-run park last week.

According to Essex County officials, the new building is about twice the size of the former park building. It has a large activity room, a computer room, office space, a kitchen, and a room to be used as a substation for the Montclair Police Department. A patio for outdoor seating is located on the back of the building. There is a covered entrance in front of the building and a new parking lot with about 40 parking spaces enhances access to the site.

Also, part of the project included the modernization of the football field with a synthetic grass surface and sports lighting to make play safer, reduce maintenance and enable increased usage of the field, officials said.

Comito Associates from Newark was awarded a professional services contract for $525,000 to design the building and park improvements. Grove Contracting LLC from Cedar Grove was awarded a publicly bid contract for $10,619,000 to perform the construction work. The project was funded through the Essex County capital budget and with a $5 million grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

The Wally Choice Community Center is one of the most used facilities in the county parks system, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“The larger, modern accommodations make the building more inviting and provides visitors and community groups with flexible spaces that can be used for senior activities, after school enrichment programs, meeting space for organization and room for families to celebrate milestone events,” DiVincenzo said.

“We gathered a great deal of input from area residents and those who frequently used the park to design this building,” he added. “I know the community will make great use of this space.”

DiVincenzo noted that Grass Roots founder Wally Choice will continue to be honored by transferring his name from the original community center to the new, 10,000-square-foot building.

In 2009, the old community center was named as the “Essex County Wally Choice Community Center” in honor of the Montclair resident, who was president and executive director of Montclair Grass Roots, a community organization that has provided recreation and educational enrichment programs for children for more than half a century.

• See Related: $10M In Upgrades Coming For Glenfield Park In Montclair

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