Upgrades At 2 Popular Parks In Newark Cross The Finish Line

NEWARK, NJ — Upgrades to two county-run parks in Newark have crossed the finish line.

Essex County recently completed a series of improvements at Independence Park and Branch Brook Park. Learn more about each renovation below.

INDEPENDENCE PARK

Two projects totaling more than $4.8 million have been finished at Independence Park in Newark. The improvements were funded with grants from the State of New Jersey and the American Rescue Plan as well as funds from the Essex County capital budget.

County officials released some details about each project (see photo above):

SOCCER & BASEBALL/SOFTBALL – “The first project included the revitalization of an existing soccer field and existing Little League/softball field with new synthetic grass playing surfaces, enhanced drainage systems, new fencing, benches and trash receptacles and sports lighting, and landscaping. The field upgrades were designed in-house by the Department of Public Works. The Landtek Group from Bay Shore, N.Y., was awarded a publicly-bid contract for $1,181,245 to perform the construction work.”

SOCCER FIELD – “The second project included the resurfacing of an existing soccer field with a new synthetic playing surface and the creation of a new soccer field with a synthetic playing surface. Site improvements including new drainage systems, concrete sidewalks, pathway lighting, fencing, benches, lighting and landscaping also were completed. PS&S architects and engineers from Warren was awarded a professional services contract for $525,000 to design the new fields and the Sheriff Armando and Mary Fontoura Community Center that opened last year. Turco Golf Inc. from Pompton Lakes was awarded a publicly-bid contract for $3,636,765.”

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said that even though Independence Park is one of the smallest parks in the county system, it is one of the most heavily used.

“Because of the density of the population and development in Newark’s Ironbound, this park literally is the backyard for our residents,” DiVincenzo said.

BRANCH BROOK PARK

Meanwhile, upgrades were also recently completed at Branch Brook Park, which is located in Newark and Belleville.

Here’s what to know about the work, county officials said:

“The Patricia Chambers Grove is located in the Northern Division of Branch Brook Park at the entrance on Heller Parkway in Newark. The open area was modernized with a stone-paved walking, ornamental pathway lighting, formal sitting areas and enhanced landscaping. In addition, across the street by the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex, sidewalks and steps were renovated to make access safer. The improvements transform a long overlooked and underutilized area of the park into a welcoming gateway and formally link it to the adjacent North Ward neighborhood.”

Officials said that Rhodeside and Harwell from Newark designed the improvements. ZN Construction from Elmwood Park was awarded a publicly bid contract for $1,344,000 to perform the construction work. The design work was funded with a grant from the Branch Brook Park Alliance. The construction work was funded with a grant from the NJ Green Acres program and through the Essex County capital budget.

A dedication ceremony was held at the park earlier this month, with officials recognizing the “numerous contributions” made by Chambers as a founding member of the Branch Brook Park Alliance.

“Patricia Chambers – along with Pat Ryan and Barbara Bell Coleman – took the initiative over 25 years ago to form the Branch Brook Park Alliance and create a partner that the county could rely on to assist with the revitalization and care of Branch Brook Park,” DiVincenzo recalled.

“Naming this beautifully designed and landscaped grove in her honor will remind present and future generations of her numerous contributions and hopefully inspire them to care for our parks as much as she did,” he added.

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