Jersey City officials and the local parks coalition came out for the groundbreaking at Fairmount Triangle Park, which is receiving the $200,000 worth of upgrades thanks to two grants.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The improvement project eliminates two street segments that bisect existing green spaces at the intersection of Fairmount and Summit Avenues to create and expand an uninterrupted public park, expected to be completed this summer.
“The administration has been working with my office making sure we bring residents from downtown to the Greenville section,” Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson said this morning.
Robinson noted he first ran for the seat as an independent against Fulop before being appointed to the council with his support.
“I told him I would be willing to work with anyone who’s doing the right thing for Ward F,” he recalled.
“If anything, the pandemic has taught us the importance of open space,” added Council President Joyce Waterman said, who noted the open space, also known as Bergen-Lafayette Park, will be a great place for families to gather post-COVID.
“Green space is incredibly important for our mental health, our physical health, and when we hear residents talk about while they enjoy walking to Lincoln Park, while they enjoy walking to Berry Lane Park, they don’t have anything in their immediate area,” added Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey.
Mayor Steven Fulop noted that the New Jersey Department of Transportation owns part of the property and that the city worked with Gov. Phil Murphy’s office to obtain that piece of land.
On a related note, the two grants that made the upgrades possible came from the NJ DOT and the Made to Move program, a national grant competition that is funding projects that encourage healthy, active lifestyles.
Two roads that are already blocked off will be added to the existing green space, along with a parking lot. In addition, a parking lot adjacent to the existing green space will be added to the completed park.
“We’re going to use the redevelopment authority and the powers that the city has to create open space there … We have invested more in Ward F than any other ward in the city,” Fulop stated, citing the City Hall Annex, Berry Lane Park, Fulton Park, and SciTech Scity as examples.
“ … I highlight those because I know it’s easy on the rhetoric side to talk about why is an area neglected, and I would just say change takes a little bit of time. But as an administration, we are committed to that. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
Additionally, the renovation designs were developed with community input to include upgrading the playground area and installing a permanent infrastructure with new trees, plants, seating, restriping pedestrian crosswalks, fencing, a flag pole, among other elements.
“For Jersey City residents, parks and open spaces are a vital part of the community. The Parks Coalition is pleased to see the City’s continued commitment to invest and develop underutilized spaces,” explained Jersey City Parks Coalition President Paula Mahayosnand.
Jersey City Director of Transportation Planning Barkha Patel said that the project is also a “unique opportunity to integrate our Vision Zero efforts” into other projects while re-establishing a new park.
