$10M Cherry Blossom Center At Branch Brook Park Opens In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A brand-new, $10.45 million welcome center at Branch Brook Park in Essex County stands as a tribute to one of the region’s most beloved arboreal treasures: its cherry blossom trees.

Earlier this week, several elected officials and community members gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the county-run park, which is located in Newark and Belleville. The park features a grove of 5,000 cherry blossom trees that is larger than the national display in Washington D.C., and is home to a popular annual festival that draws thousands of people to Essex County.

The 12,000-square-foot building features high ceilings, natural light and updated amenities for guests. According to a statement from the county, here are some other highlights:

“The centerpiece of the building is a large community room with a capacity to seat about 250 people. There also are a kitchen, restrooms that are accessible from inside and outside of the building, coat rooms and storage rooms. The lobby area is equipped with gallery and display cases, and a mural occupying one wall provides a history of the Cherry Blossoms in Essex County Branch Brook Park. There also is an imitation cherry blossom tree that will enable visitors to experience a cherry blossom in bloom with pink petals throughout the year.”

But that’s not all, county officials added:

“The front of the building has a covered entry way and driveway that will make accessing the building easy. A large patio on the rear of the building overlooks the three baseball/softball fields in the meadow behind the building. The two bocce courts have been repositioned on the right side of the building; one of the courts is located under a pavilion to enable play during inclement weather. A variety of site improvements also have been made, including enhanced landscaping, planting new trees, installation of benches and trash receptacles and water fountains.”

DiCara Rubino Architects from Wayne received a professional services contract for $562,500 to design the new building. Tsivicos Enterprises from Neptune City was awarded a publicly bid contract for $9,890,000 to construct the new building.

The project was funded with grants from the state of New Jersey, the American Rescue Plan and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund, officials said.

Work started in March 2022.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. previously said that even though the county holds a variety of events to celebrate the trees, the center’s small size limits what can be done indoors throughout the year.

“The larger building will help us expand our year-round programming in the park and will provide the public with an up-to-date facility to gather and hold events,” DiVincenzo said.

• See Related: $10M Upgrade Will Fuel Cherry Blossom Craze At Branch Brook Park

WORK AT BRANCH BROOK: A RECENT HISTORY

County officials released a summary of recent work that has been taking place at the park (see below).

"The Branch Brook Park Alliance has been the primary partner with Essex County to revitalize Branch Brook Park, which opened in 1895. More than $50 million of upgrades have been made throughout the Park through this partnership. Park enhancements have been supported with grants from corporations, the New Jersey Green Acres program, the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund, philanthropic organizations and community members. In addition, the Alliance has sponsored a variety of programs to clean the waterways, spruce up the park, maintain the cherry tree collection, develop an urban farm, among other activities.

"The historic Ballantine Gates off of Lake Avenue were rehabilitated and preserved in 2021. The Branch Brook Dog Park was A new synthetic grass surface was installed on the Robert Clemente Baseball Field in 2019. Synthetic grass surfaces were installed on the Ray Dandridge and Jerome Greco Little League Fields in 2018. A bronze bust of Frederick Law Olmstead was dedicated in 2018 and a bronze bust of Mendelssohn was restored and rededicated in 2017; both are located in the Prudential Concert Grove. A playground designed with a cherry blossom theme was opened at the Essex County Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in 2015. The Barbara Bell Coleman Welcome Center and Concourse Hill upgrades, along with the opening of a two-mile, synthetic surface walking track, creation of a children’s garden at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, renovation of a well in the Park’s Northern Division, the rehabilitation of the Reservoir Walls in the Park’s Southern Division and modernization of the Clifton Avenue basketball courts were completed in 2014. The bronze statue honor the late tennis legend Althea Gibson was dedicated and the 20-court tennis complex named in her honor received a complete makeover in March 2012 and the field house in the tennis complex was renovated in July 2012.

"A multi-phase project to upgrade the lakefront in the Southern Division was completed in April 2012. It included the restoration of the historic Prudential Lions statues and balustrade, the rehabilitation of two buildings for restrooms and public meeting space, updating the music court with new pavers and landscaping. The music court overlooking the lake was dedicated as the “Prudential Concert Grove” to recognize the corporation’s ongoing support to restore the Park, and a memorial cherry tree grove was rededicated in honor of Kiyofumi Sakaguchi, who was President and CEO of Prudential International Insurance at the time of his death.

"The renovation of the historic Octagon Fieldhouse in the Essex County Stephen N. Adubato, Sr. Sports Complex was completed in April 2011. Completed in 2010 were a project to pave the park roadway, upgrade walking paths, and install historic lighting in the section of the park from the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center to Heller Parkway, the planting of 600 Cherry Trees and other trees throughout Branch Brook Park and the paving of the park roadway from Mill Street to Washington Street.

"In September 2009, the Middle Division Recreation Complex was renamed as the “Essex County Stephen N. Adubato, Sr. Sports Complex,” in honor of the founder of The North Ward Center and Robert Treat Academy. In August 2009, a synthetic surface football/soccer field was constructed and named after NFL Hall of Famer and Barringer High School alumni Andre Tippett. Earlier in 2009, a "demonstration project" in the Branch Brook Park Extension enhanced landscaping, added Cherry Trees, improved pathways and modernized entranceways into the park from Franklin Avenue. The Bloomfield Avenue Bridge that passes over the Middle Division was rehabilitated in 2009.

"A replica of the historic Octagon Shelter in the Southern Division of Essex County Branch Brook Park was built in 2007 and the baseball field complex known as the "three diamonds" was upgraded in 2007. The baseball/softball complex in the Branch Brook Park Middle Division was reopened in April 2005 after a remediation and modernization project, and the historic restoration of the Park Avenue Bridge was completed in 2005. Entrance enhancements, new fencing and landscaping along Clifton Avenue and Mill Street, and a major improvement project along Lake Street have made the park more inviting."

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