11 Oct ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES PLANS TO BUILD BANDSTAND, MODERNIZE LITTLE LEAGUE/SOFTBALL FIELDS AND INSTALL SPORTS LIGHTING ON SOCCER FIELD IN ESSEX COUNTY BROOKDALE PARK
Published on October 11, 2022
Bloomfield/Montclair, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced two construction projects taking place in Essex County Brookdale Park on Tuesday, October 11th. The first project is the construction of a permanent bandstand and open-air pavilion; the second includes improvements to the four Little League/softball fields and soccer field. The projects are part of the County Executive’s ongoing initiative to revitalize the Essex County Parks System.
“The creation of the bandstand will help us reduce the amount of work needed to put on a concert and help us put on a more professional presentation when we host concerts and other events in Brookdale Park. It also follows Olmsted’s idea to create pavilions to attract people to the outdoors and give them shelter when they are enjoying open spaces in the parks system,” DiVincenzo said. “Putting synthetic playing surfaces on the infield section of the fields will improve play, reduce maintenance costs and provide our young athletes with more up-to-date fields on which to play,” he added.
“The exemplary oversight of our County finances allows us to do these projects in Brookdale Park. These are truly amazing improvements that make this park a countywide destination,” Commissioner Brendan Gill said.
“The new bandstand and field improvements are welcome additions to Brookdale Park. Thank you for making these investments in the park and your long-standing commitment to our open spaces,” said Don McLoughlin, President of the Brookdale Park Conservancy.
“Essex County’s parks have gotten better and better because of the attention the County Executive has given them. Joe, all your projects are done to perfection,” Assemblyman Ralph Caputo said.
“As Mayor of Bloomfield, I am excited about these two projects. The concerts are always great events and to upgrade the fields will be a benefit to the children who play on them,” said Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia, who was joined by Council members Nick Joanow,
Wartyna Davis and Rich Rockwell.
“The dedication of dollars makes a difference in this park and for all of Essex County. The field improvements will provide additional recreation opportunities for our young athletes,” said Essex County Administrator Robert Jackson, who is a former mayor of Montclair.
The bandstand will be used during the Essex County Free Summer Concert Series, which regularly hosts weekly Friday night concerts throughout the summer and an Independence Day concert and fireworks spectacular. When not in use for concerts or other programming, the bandstand will be accessible as an open-air pavilion that can be utilized for shade by the public.
The bandstand, which is 19.5 feet wide and 30 feet long, will be equipped with infrastructure to support musical concerts and performances, including rigging, lighting and electrical power and storage space. Additional site improvements include tree pruning and the removal of dead trees, installation of lighting along nearby walking paths and around the bandstand to enhance public safety, repairs of paving and curbs, and installation of benches and garbage cans. The bandstand will be handicap accessible.
The fields are located in the northern section of the park. The installation of the synthetic playing surface on four Little League/softball fields will stabilize the infields and the improved drainage that is part of the field improvements will help alleviate flooding. The outfield sections of the ballfields will remain natural grass. In the stadium, sports lighting will be installed at the soccer field.
Barreto Dowd Landscape Architecture and Site Planning from Howell was awarded a professional services contract for $241,520 to design the bandstand. ZN Construction from Elmwood Park was awarded a publicly bid contract for $1,245,000 to build the bandstand. The bandstand is being funded through a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. Work started earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022.
French and Parrello from Wall were awarded a professional services contract for $157,450 to design the field improvements. The construction contract for the fields is scheduled to appear on the Board of Commissioners agenda on Wednesday, October 12th. If approved, the field improvements will be funded with grants from the American Rescue program and Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. The fields are scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2023.
Revitalizing Essex County Brookdale Park
DiVincenzo’s administration has completed several improvement projects in Brookdale Park as part of a comprehensive initiative to revitalize the Essex County Park System.
The synthetic grass field and rubberized running track in the Oval were completed in May 2004 and was updated with new grass and rubberized surfaces in 2014. In 2006, the meadow underwent an extensive $1.15 million renovation that included the installation of new drainage and irrigation systems, the planting of sod on the entire meadow surface and the modernization of the baseball/softball field in the northern section of the meadow. The development of the Brookdale Dog Park and the reconstruction of the 11-court tennis facility were completed in November 2007. In 2009, the Circuit Drive, the parking lots and the walking paths throughout the park were repaved. In 2014, a three-phase project to install 148 light poles at the park entranceways and around the walking paths and an 18-station fitness course were completed. In 2015, the playground was updated with new climbing apparatus and a rubberized safety surface. In 2018, the welcome center received a comprehensive upgrade and in 2019 the tennis court complex was resurfaced and the county’s first pickleball courts were created. These projects were funded with grants from the NJ Green Acres program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. DiVincenzo has established partnerships with the Montclair United Soccer and the Brookdale Park Conservancy to obtain the grant funding.
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, golf driving range, two miniature golf courses, four off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.At 121.41 acres, Brookdale Park is the third largest park in the Essex County System. Land for the park was purchased between 1928 and 1931.