Big Upgrades Planned At Newark Park; County Touts $12M Building Renovation

NEWARK, NJ — Two infrastructure projects recently saw some spotlight in Newark: the launch of a big park upgrade, and a $12 million county building renovation.

Here is some information about both projects, as per the City of Newark and Essex County.

SAL BONTEMPO PARK

Last month, city officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for Sal Bontempo Park at 368-378 Bloomfield Avenue in the North Ward.

According to a news release from the city, “significant park improvements” are in the works, including green infrastructure that will help prevent stormwater-related flooding in the neighborhood.

The project is a collaborative effort between the City of Newark and the Bloomfield Avenue/Lower Broadway Alliance (BALBA), which is contributing $300,000 for the revitalization and improvement of the park.

Other upgrades will include:

“Landscaping and furnishings will facilitate pedestrian circulation with new paved walkways, upgraded seating areas, and clearly defined gathering spaces that support everyday use and small community activities… The new landscaping will install planting beds, lawn areas, and selected tree placement to elevate the parks’ appearance. Beyond improved aesthetics the design will yield environmental benefits such as shade and critical storm water management. Updating lighting and outdoor furniture will, improve visibility and safety, while the overall layout creates a more welcoming, flexible park that better serves residents.”

Sal Bontempo Park’s defining feature is the Pequannock Gate water tower – a historic structure that designates a major aqueduct location where water from the Pequannock watershed entered Newark’s mains.

The park sits at the crossroads of several businesses and First Avenue School.

“This partnership not only improves a neglected park, but also enhances an iconic public space to the benefit of all,” BALBA president P.J. Calello said.

“We talk about this project in terms of beautification, collaboration, beautiful landscaping, and the history of this landmark, but to me, stormwater management is the most significant piece,” Mayor Ras Baraka said.

“The storms that used to come every hundred years are coming every five now, so it's incredibly important that we do everything we can to manage flooding,” the mayor added.

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COUNTY PARKS BUILDING RENOVATION

Essex County also made a major infrastructure announcement last month, trumpeting a nearly $12 million renovation to its parks administration building at 115 Clifton Avenue in Newark.

The project included preserving the building’s historical features on the exterior and within the director’s office and archives office, as well as modernizing other office and work areas, county officials said.

The Parks Administration Building opened in 1916 and has continuously served as the headquarters of the Essex County Parks Department (previously the Essex County Parks Commission). Because the building is registered as a national historic site, the renovations were conducted in compliance with the requirements of the NJ State Historic Preservation guidelines, officials said.

According to a news release from the county:

“The project included upgrading the roof, doors and windows; HVAC system; electrical system; elevators; and phone and information technology systems. On the first floor, a more user-friendly office design with a waiting area for the permit division was created along with museum space. Historical features on the exterior of the building and in Director’s Office and Archives Office were repaired and preserved. Lighting around the exterior of the building was enhanced. Renovations also were made to the garden and parking areas. Signage, wayfinding signs and landscaping were added as well.”

County officials said PS&S from Warren was awarded a professional services contract for $643,000 to design the improvements to the Parks Administration Building. Tsivicos Enterprises from Neptune City completed the project after the original contractor was unable to. The project was funded with a $5 million grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs and a $5.8 million grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. ($800,000 of the Trust Fund grant will be provided up front; $5 million of the grant will be provided over three years.)

The project was started in May 2023.

“After more than a century of service, the building was showing signs of regular wear and tear and needed to be updated to provide staff and visitors with up-to-date working conditions,” Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Just as we have continued to modernize our parks and recreation facilities, it was time our Parks Administration Building received its own facelift,” he added.

“You don’t see many government buildings like this today,” Newark North Ward councilman Anibal Ramos commented. “This is a tribute to the history of our parks system and the people who work here.”

Other elected officials who gave a thumbs-up to the upgrades included New Jersey Sen. Teresa Ruiz, New Jersey Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones, and Essex County Commissioners Carlos Pomares, Brendan Gill, Wayne Ricardson and Len Luciano.

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