11 May ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO DEDICATES THE NEW SHERIFF ARMANDO AND MARY FONTOURA COMMUNITY CENTER IN ESSEX COUNTY INDEPENDENCE PARK 7,600-Square-Foot Building Provides Modern Space for Community Activities, Programs and Events
Published on May 11, 2024
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. dedicated the new Sheriff Armando and Mary Fontoura Community Center in Essex County Independence Park in Newark on Friday, May 10th. Sheriff Fontoura has served as Essex County Sheriff for 34 years and is the longest serving sheriff in New Jersey history; his wife Mary, who passed away in 2022, was the Postmaster of the Roseland Post Office.
The 7,600-square-foot community center replaces a much smaller cinder block building that has been removed from park. The new facility provides modern accommodations for residents to gather and experience the park in a new way and provides additional space for community groups who regularly utilize the park. The project is part of the County Executive’s continuing initiative to update park facilities to meet the changing needs of the community.
“Sheriff Fontoura and his wife Mary mean so much to the community and have become synonymous with the Ironbound. As I have been building new community centers in our parks, I knew I wanted to name this new building in their honor because of their legacies of helping others,” DiVincenzo said.
“The community center has become a hub of activity in Independence Park, but the small size of the current building limits the activities that can be accommodated. Constructing a new facility will provide the space needed and more, welcoming and up-to-date setting for people to enjoy their time in the park,” the County Executive said. “The needs of our residents are always changing and providing tis modern space will give visitors another way to enjoy and experience our park,” he added.
Describing the dedication as “overwhelming,” Fontoura called his wife “a terrific person and great mother who dedicated herself to raising our children and grandchildren. This also is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the Portuguese community and contributions made to the Ironbound, city and state,” he added.
“We all know the value these spaces have in our lives. It’s where we will host communions, birthday parties and other family events that will strengthen our bonds as neighbors. It’s extra special to be able to open this facility in honor of Armando and Mary Fontoura,” Lt. Governor Tahesha Way said.
NJ Senate Majority Leader and Essex County Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz talked about Mary as being the anchor of the family who took care of their children while the sheriff was called to duty. She described them as a tight-knit team who gave of themselves to the community. This legacy will live on because “what will happen here inside the walls of this building will be extraordinary,” she added.
“When immigrants come to the United States, they look for people to connect with. For the Portuguese residents in the Ironbound it was the Sheriff and we all were so proud when we would see him. Naming this building in his and Mary’s honor is thanking them for all they did for this community,” Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin said.
“I am so glad for the vision of the county to build centers like these where senior citizens can come to socialize, play cards and feel safe. It is fitting that this edifice bears the names of Armando and Mary Fontoura. I can’t think of two better people for this honor,” Cardinal Joseph Tobin said.
“Essex does more projects like this in one year than anyone else and they are all top notch and fantastic. But this is more special because of the Sheriff and his wife. This is a great tribute to great people,” Commissioner President Carlos Pomares said.
“I applaud Joe DiVincenzo for the buildings that he creates because they provide positive alternatives for people. Naming the building after the Sheriff and his wife is a testament to their love for one another and the influence they have had in the Ironbound community,” Prosecutor Ted Stephens said.
“Today is a proud day for the Portuguese community because of the sheriff and his wife. This is an example of what we owe to Sheriff Fontoura for all that he has done through the years,” Newark East Ward Councilman Michael Silva said.
“This building is about a love story involving Armando and Mary and it’s a bond that is special and should be recognized. It is proof of the love that two individuals have for one another that also enriched the community around them,” NJ State and Essex County Democratic Chairman LeRoy Jones said.
“Armando has always been there for all of us and was a figure who always made us feel safe,” Port Authority of NY/NY Chairman Kevin O’Toole said.
“This building will serve as a lasting testament to the Fontoura’s legacy – a legacy of perseverance and unwavering commitment to excellence. It will stand as a reminder to future generations of the power two individuals have to affect meaningful change in their community,” Undersheriff Amir Jones said.
A plaque acknowledging the Fontouras’ commitment to their community begins with a quote from Helen Keller: “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart.” It continues: “Armando and Mary Fontoura both immigrated to New Jersey from Portugal with their families and began their 58-year love story when they first met in 1964. Armando entered law enforcement with the Newark Police Department and worked his way up through the ranks to become a Captain and Chief Assistant to the Police Director. In 1990, he was appointed as Essex County Sheriff and has been re-elected time and again to become the longest serving Sheriff in County history. Always by Armando’s side was Mary, who also had a career in public service as the longtime Postmaster of the Roseland Post Office. Popular in the Ironbound, Mary (who passed away in 2022) and Armando became generational role models for those who resided “Down Neck.” We proudly dedicate this building as the “Essex County Sheriff Armando and Mary Fontoura Community Center” as a tribute to the positive influence they have had for over half a century in the Ironbound and throughout Essex. We hope this building in Essex County Independence Park becomes a place that fosters friendships, promotes pride and spirit, and serves as a destination that brings people together like Armando and Mary Fontoura.”
There also is a framed photo of the late Mary Azagra, an Ironbound resident who was a longtime member and president of the Independence Park Monday Club, a social club for senior citizens that met in the old community center. Ms. Azagra, who attended the groundbreaking for the new community center, passed away earlier in 2024.
The new community center is located on the Adams Street side of the park between Nichols Street and Warwick Street. The 7,600 square feet of space in the new building is almost twice as large as the old building. There will be a large room for community events and activities, flexible office space for community groups, a smaller conference room, interior and exterior storage space, separate interior and exterior restroom facilities and a covered patio area. A short driveway allows vehicles to drive to the front door and a covered entranceway enabling visitors to be protected from the elements when they are dropped off.
Improvements to the existing concert area behind the building include the installation of a 15-inch-high masonry wall with a decorative veneer, a flexipave surface with outdoor games painted on the surface, benches for seating, ornamental lighting, improved pathways and landscaping.
The Sheriff Armando and Mary Fontoura Community Center is part of the county executive’s initiative to update parks with up-to-date community centers. Other projects have been completed in Essex County Cedar Grove Park, Essex County Watsessing Park in Bloomfield, Essex County Weequahic Park, Essex County West Side Park and the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in Essex County Branch Brook Park in Newark and, the Wally Choice Community Center in Essex County Glenfield Park in Montclair. New buildings in the pipeline include and the D. Bilal Beasley Community Center in Essex County Irvington Park and new community center in Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park in Orange.
PS&S architects from Warren received a professional services contract for $525,000 to design the new community center. A publicly bid contract for $8,927,000 to construct the building was awarded to Grove Contracting LLC from Verona. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays are avoided. The improvements are being funded with a grant from the State of New Jersey.
Revitalizing Essex County Independence Park
In 2017, a project to modernize the basketball and volleyball courts and a soccer field with new playing surfaces was completed. In 2016, the playground was modernized with new apparatus and a rubberized safety surface. In 2013, the regulation-size soccer field received a new synthetic grass surface playing surface. In 2011, the softball/little league field at the corner of Van Buren Street and Oliver Street was upgraded with a synthetic grass surface and new fencing, and the field house was renovated. In 2010, the Senior Building received a comprehensive renovation. Essex County has worked cooperatively with the Down Neck Sports Community Group and SPARK to receive grant funding from the NJ Green Acres program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund to fund improvements to Independence Park.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system in the United States. It has been expanded to include about 6,000 acres of land and includes 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, miniature golf course, three dog parks, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. At 12.69 acres, Independence Park is the fifth smallest park in the historic Essex County Park System. Land for Independence Park was acquired in 1895.