Vailsburg Park Gets New Playground, Restrooms and Updates to Basketball Court – TAPinto.net
NEWARK, NJ – Parkgoers will no longer need to use Porta-Johns when they’re using the existing softball fields or new playground and basketball court at Essex County Vailsburg Park.
That’s because the county renovated a historic, abandoned building that sat in the center of the park’s amenities with new restrooms, a community space and storage. The $2.4 million project also includes upgrades to the existing basketball court and playground.
“This park is heavily used for all different sports,” said Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. “Now we have a brand new playground. That is one of the largest playgrounds that we have in Essex County and it’s absolutely beautiful.”
The 30-acre park runs along the Garden State Parkway and sits where Oraton Parkway and South Orange Avenue meet. The upgraded section can be found at Oraton Parkway and Vailsburg Terrace.
The historic building that was renovated was once used by those on a military base that was stationed here in the 1920s, Essex County Parks Director Dan Salvante said. The U.S. Army leased a portion of the park for an anti-aircraft gun site until 1960, according to the county website.
The project took about 14 months to complete, DiVincenzo said. Slow, by his standards, due to uncooperative weather.
The building’s foundation had to be stabilized and reinforced to prevent it from continuing to sink into the ground. Locker rooms and storage space was also built for high school and recreation teams that use the surrounding fields.
The original playground equipment was installed in 2003, but was getting old. Everything in the jungle gym area was removed and new equipment was installed. New benches, a drinking water fountain and a four-foot tall fence was installed to prevent children from running away.
The nearby basketball court was last upgraded in 2007, but has now been resurfaced. New backboard equipment was also installed.
The park sits in the West Ward. Alonzo Herron, the chief of staff to West Ward Councilman Joseph McCallum, Jr., said the park upgrades help add to other projects in the ward. A new federally qualified health center is another major project slated for the West Ward.
“It’s a great day that we have more beautification that’s coming up,” said Herron.
Two dead trees were removed and branches were pruned in the park. North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos called the park upgrades a “job well done” by the county executive and his team.
“Joe takes great pride in making these projects happen, but they’re only as successful as the community support allows us to,” Ramos said. “So we definitely need the councilman’s office and the representatives that are here from the neighborhood to be great caretakers of this park and the playground and the clubhouse.”
The building will be managed by Allen Thomas and two other staff members.
SM Design and Consulting, of Glen Ridge, was awarded a contract for $83,850 to design the basketball court and building upgrades. PS&S Integrated Services, of Newark, was awarded a $47,350 to design the new playground.
Alexander the Great from Fairfield did the construction work to the building for a contract worth $1.28 million. Picerno-Giordano Construction, of Kenilworth, built the playground under a $1 million contract.
The project was funded by the county’s capital budget and with a ground from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund.
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