A New Military Park

As an 80's baby Newark and as a male, who played sports, I never realized until later in life how under served our city was with respect to parks and recreation. I grew up splitting my time between every little league field in the city, swimming at JFK every other day, dreaming of getting older to hang out at Symphony Hall, and going to festivals/cook-outs within the "Big 2," Weequahic and Branch Brook Parks.

It took me to work for the City as an adult to truly internalize one of our plights. The city we call home is severely under-parked. In the past 10 years, the City and private companies have made a strong push to right this ship. The waterfront has broken ground and is steadily making progress. Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District has made Lincoln Park Music Festival a top city event. The Commons has made Washington Park a spot for live entertainment and fare in the warmer months. West Side Park has great amenities and Branch Brook has some of the best amenities in the country. Weequahic is an icon that truly lives and breaths life every day. And there are many battles being won across the city in varying sizes and plans, which were once cast off for hopeful adoption by some brave soul.

And the war continues to liven our pulse, with the latest plans for Military Park. What was once started as a feasibility study by a consortium of public / private entities 10 years ago, the latest charge is similar with a pact created by the City, MCJ Amelior Foundation, Prudential, Theater Square Development Corp., and Newark Alliance. Hired to complete this charge is Biederman Redevelopment Ventures (BRV), whose claim to fame has been the highly publicized and successful redevelopment of Bryant Park in Manhattan.



Expecting to break ground this spring, after false starts between 2004 and 2010, BRV will run the newly formed Military Park Partnership (MPP) with hopes of repeating their successes in Bryant Park and around the country. MPP will assume all ongoing costs for the maintenance and operation of the park. The goals are creative and basic at the same time, with a primary focus on long term financial sustainability. Funded to date are the major capital improvements to the park, which will include:

• physical changes to existing broken items and new public restrooms;
• design changes, such as a cafe plaza;
• programming changes, such as a reading room, free fitness classes;
• and discussed partnerships with over 30 organizations to provide a host of activities ranging from entertainment to shopping to outreach.

The BRV team has said that the revamped park should and could be a showcase for local businesses. They have even entertained partnerships to provide wedding ceremonies and performances. Later, MPP plans to raise the needed capital to restore the park's famous monuments. While nearly 2 acres of new greenery will be added, the monuments will remain a key focus of the redevelopment plans.

In addition, there will be free wifi, an expanded farmer's market (to build on the momentum started by Newark Downtown District), improved lighting along pathways, and renovated garage entrances. Not to go unnoticed, but this project will create needed jobs and opportunities for our fellow residents. And in a city that always wants to discuss linkages, this feels like the hole of a donut being filled with a rich jam and icing.

In this park, famous for its aggressive imagery, we all should be excited to see this battle furthered in the right direction by all of the stakeholders...including us, as residents. Let's take the battle, with a good model, throughout the city!