08 Oct ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF UPGRADES TO ESSEX COUNTY MONTE IRVIN ORANGE PARK GARDE
Published on October 8, 2021
Orange, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that a project to update the formal gardens in Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park has been completed. The project is part of the County Executive’s ongoing initiative to revitalize the historic Essex County Parks System.
“We are continually looking to improve and update the amenities throughout our historic Parks System. Updating the gardens will provide visitors with an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in a passive and serene setting.
“I want to thank the County Executive for making the investment to restore this wonderful garden to its original splendor,” Commissioner Tyshammie Cooper said. “The County Executive had the vision to revitalize all of our county parks and this is just another example of the great work that he has done,” Commissioner Patricia Sebold said.
“This is an amazing garden and the work that was done here mimics the original Olmstead design very closely. We are very pleased with the work,” said Karen Wells, a member of the Orange Historical Society. She was joined by fellow members Kathy Dowd and Judy Leight.
Located in the southern section of the park near the intersection of South Center Street and Harrison Street in Orange, the gardens were updated with new plantings and repairs to the irrigation system.
French and Parrello from Wall designed the improvements under an existing contract. Clarke Moynihan Landscaping and Construction from Andover was awarded a publicly bid contract for $108,400 to perform the construction. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays were avoided. The improvements were funded with a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund.
Revitalizing Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Par
DiVincenzo’s administration has completed several improvement projects in Monte Irvin Orange Park as part of a comprehensive initiative to revitalize the Essex County Park System.
Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park was renamed in honor of baseball legend Monte Irvin in May 2006. Irvin was raised in Orange, was one of the first African Americans to play in the Major Leagues and was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. In addition, a memorial recognizing the valor of Orange Police Detective Kieran T. Shields was dedicated in April 2007. Shields lost his life on August 7, 2006, while attempting to apprehend a shooting suspect.
The playground was modernized and expanded in 2016. Public accessibility into the park was enhanced in 2014 when new crosswalks, sidewalk ramps, pathways and roadway striping were installed on Oakwood Avenue. In 2009, a soccer field with a synthetic grass surface was installed as part of a $1.1 million upgrade. A $1.2 million facelift to upgrade the park entrances, gardens, baseball fields and pond area was completed in April 2007. The basketball court and restroom building were rebuilt in May 2006 for $527,968. Modern equipment and a rubberized safety surface were installed in the playground in March 2004. The improvements were funded with grants from the NJ Green Acres program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, a miniature golf course, golf driving range, five off-leash dog facilities, paddle boating, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. At 47.63 acres, Orange Park is the sixth largest County park in Essex and is considered to be part of the original County Park System designed by the Olmsted Brothers landscape architectural firm. Property for Orange Park was purchased in 1897, making it one of the oldest county parks in the country.