07 Sep ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES MODERNIZATION OF SOCCER FIELD AND TRACK IN ESSEX COUNTY RIVERBANK PARK
Published on September 7, 2023
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that a new synthetic grass playing surface was installed on the soccer field and a new rubberized surfaces was installed on the running track in Essex County Riverbank Park in Newark. The project is part of the County Executive’s ongoing initiative to revitalize the Essex County Parks System and provide the most up-to-date recreation facilities.
“Soccer is a very popular sport, especially in the Ironbound. I want to make sure we have sports facilities that meet the needs of our children and provide our children with safe, modern fields to play on,” DiVincenzo said, noting that this is the third time the soccer field has been resurfaced and the second time the track has been resurfaced.
“I spend a lot of time at soccer fields because my daughters play the sport. When we play games here it makes me proud to hear parents from the opposing team talk about how great our facilities are. This is because of the vision that Joe has for our parks and the community,” Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin said.
“These fields have come a long way and it is because of the vision of Joe DiVincenzo and the resources he puts into our parks,” Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.
“I cannot emphasize enough the great work done by our County Executive. The soccer fields here in Riverbank Park and other county parks mean a great deal to the Ironbound community and it is great to have a County Executive who is so supportive,” Newark East Ward Councilman Mike Silva said.
“Joe DiVincenzo knows how important this field is to the community. I have been happy to partner with the County on all these projects that benefit our community,” said Nancy Zak of the Ironbound Community Corp.
“The expansion of the Ironbound Soccer Club has a lot do with the County updating its fields. We could not have achieved all we did and brought Ironbound Soccer to the international stage without the support we’ve received from the County providing these great fields,” said John Soares from the Ironbound Soccer Club.
The Essex County Department of Public Works designed the field improvements in-house and monitored the project so delays were avoided. Field Turf was awarded a publicly bid contract for $964-167 to perform the construction work. Funding was provided with a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. The project started in May and was completed in three months.