FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Teresa Ruiz

July 26, 2006 973-621-4404

Anthony Puglisi

973-621-2542

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO TO ANNOUNCE NEXT PHASE OF THE WEST SIDE PARK IMPROVEMENTS

Park Receives Major Gift from the Amelior and MCJ Foundations

Overall Scope of Project is Presented

Newark, NJ – Essex County’s West Side Park is receiving a major facelift thanks to a partnership between Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., the West Side Park Conservancy, the Amelior Foundation and the MCJ Foundation. On Wednesday, July 26th, the Executive and representatives from each organization presented plans for what will be the third phase of the restoration for West Side Park with new perimeter fencing, ornamental lighting, entrance enhancements, pathway upgrades, tree pruning and planting, and landscaping.

“When my administration first took office we made West Side Park a priority. Surrounded by homes, schools and churches, the park is a critical community oasis that provides much needed open space. Our partnerships with the West Side Park Conservancy and other local community groups have enabled us to make vast improvements in the last three years. Today’s gift from the Amelior and the MCJ Foundations will help us continue the progress that this park and the residents deserve,” the County Executive added.

“What makes West Side Park so valuable to the entire City is that it is a park for neighbors and as we move ahead we must concern ourselves with the future of our neighborhoods, and more importantly, the lives of those residing in them. The MCJ & Amelior Foundations salute the architects of old who created this open space and our proud to be a partner in restoring their design. It has been an honor and joy to work with the County of Essex, the West Side Park Conservancy, Rev. Blash, Pastor of St. Paul’s Sounds of Praise Church, a stalwart community supporter and steward of this park and neighborhood, and a host of other community based organizations serving this area. Together, we can and we will breathe new life into this park,” said Barbara Bell Coleman, Chair of the Amelior Foundation.

The Amelior Foundation and MCJ Foundation donated $800,000 to match four 2005 NJ Green Acres grants awarded to help rehabilitate Essex County’s West Side Park and hired the firm of Rhodeside and Harwell to design and implement the plan. The County worked with the West Side Park Conservancy, Tri-Cities Peoples Organization, United Community Corporation and the Boys and Girls Club of Newark to receive four $200,000 grants. Let It Grow, Inc. from River Edge, NJ, was awarded a $1,532,400 construction contract to implement the improvements. The improvements are scheduled to be completed later this year.

“We have reached out to various conservancy and community groups to help us revitalize our historic park system. We are proud to be working with the West Side Park Conservancy, the Amelior Foundation and MCJ Foundation to implement this latest phase to improve the aesthetics in West Side Park,” DiVincenzo said. “Beautifying the park will ensure that West Side remains a vibrant recreation center for our residents, will help stabilize the community and enhance the quality of life,” he added.

“The community and the conservancy are very grateful for the County Executive’s commitment to the restoration of the park. We are proud to be partners of this initiative,” Sheila Pitts, President of the West Park Conservancy, said.

The aesthetic facelift is being conducted simultaneously with a $2.1 million, grant-funded project that will transform the West Side Park athletic facility into a modern, state-of-the-art recreation complex. A synthetic grass surface that meets NCAA standards is being installed on the football/soccer field and a six-lane rubberized running track will replace a 400-meter asphalt track. New sports lighting, a scoreboard, spectator bleachers and player benches will compliment the improvements to the football/soccer field and new long jump and pole vault areas will be added at one end of the track. Drainage and walking paths in the track/football field area will be improved. In addition, the existing sports lighting at the baseball field will be repaired, handicap accessibility into the park will be improved, water fountains will be upgraded, and new signs, benches and trash receptacles will be added.

Essex County also is in the process of selecting a contractor for a third project to install a new gym floor in the Community Center.

The first round of improvements were funded with grants from Green Acres and the Essex County Open Space Trust Fund, and completed in November 2004. Essex County partnered with the West Side Park Conservancy to apply for the Green Acres grant. This phase included replacing eight dilapidated tennis courts with four brand new tennis courts and two new basketball courts. Restroom facilities next to the tennis and basketball courts were renovated and upgraded with new equipment. A new parking lot with 22 regular spaces and two handicapped spaces was constructed in front of the Community Center, and pathways throughout the park were repaved. The main park entrance on 17th Street was refurbished with a decorative retaining wall and wrought iron fence. Two other park entrances along 17th Street were upgraded with new steps leading into the park, new paving, signage and landscaping.

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 17 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range and an off-leash dog facility. West Side Park is located on 31.36 acres of land in Newark’s Central Ward and is the ninth-largest park in the County’s system. Land for the park was acquired in 1895 and West Side Park was one of the original five parks in the Essex system.

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