Newark Riverfront Park
{{Short description|Park in Newark, New Jersey, United States}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Newark Riverfront Park
| photo = RiverfrontPark.JacksonStBridge.Newark.jpg
| photo_width = 300
| photo_caption = Looking southeast to Jackson Street Bridge
| type = Urban park
| location = Newark, New Jersey, United States
| coordinates = {{Coord|40.7333|-74.1478|region:US_type:park |display=inline,title}}
| operator = Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, City of Newark
| opened = {{Start date|2012}}
| designer = Hector,http://hectordesignservice.com/newark-riverfront/ {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} Mott MacDonald, Weintraub Diaz, James Corner, among others
}}
Newark Riverfront Park is a park and promenade being developed in phases along the Passaic River in Newark, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Essex County Park System. The park, expected to be {{convert|3|mi}} long and encompass {{convert|30.5|acre|ha}},{{Cite news|url=https://jerseydigs.com/newark-riverfront-park-construction-progress/|title=Construction Underway to Expand Newark's Riverfront Park {{!}} Jersey Digs|date=2017-11-01|work=Jersey Digs|access-date=2018-04-27|language=en-US}} is being created from brownfield and greyfield sites along the river, which itself is a Superfund site due to decades of pollution. It will follow the river between the Ironbound section along Raymond Boulevard and Downtown Newark along McCarter Highway. Announced in 1999, a groundbreaking took place in 2008, and the first phase of the park opened in 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://newarkriverfront.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101083251/http://newarkriverfront.org/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=November 1, 2014|title=Newark Riverfront Park – Connecting every Newarker to their river.|website=newarkriverfront.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-04-26}} It was the first time residents of the largest city in New Jersey have ever had public access to the river.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/arts/design/newark-passaic-waterfront.html|title=Newark Revival Wears Orange Along the River|last=Kimmelman|first=Michael|date=2013-07-20|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-04-26|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} Other segments of the park have subsequently opened, while others are being developed.
The East Coast Greenway uses paths and roads along the park.
History
File:OrangeBoardwalkRiverfrontParkNewark.jpg
The banks of Passaic River had been industrialized, and in some sections later abandoned for many years, and is an EPA Superfund site. Diamond Alkali in the Ironbound section, was a notable contributor to the contamination.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2014/04/massive_17_billion_cleanup_of_passaic_river_proposed_by_epa.html|title=Massive, $1.7 billion environmental cleanup of Passaic River proposed by EPA|date=11 April 2014}} The river's remediation, projected in 2014 to cost an estimated $1.7 billion, is to be one of the largest Superfund cleanups ever proposed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/case-summary-165-million-settlement-start-cleanup-work-passaic-river-new-jersey|title=Case Summary: $165 Million Settlement to Start Cleanup Work on the Passaic River in New Jersey {{!}} US EPA|last=EPA: The United States Environmental Protection Agency|website=US EPA|date=2 December 2016|language=en|access-date=2018-04-27}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/massive_17_billion_cleanup_of_passaic_river_proposed_by_epa.html|title=Massive, $1.7 billion environmental cleanup of Passaic River proposed by EPA|work=NJ.com|access-date=2018-04-27|language=en-US}} While plans for dredging the river to remove contaminants has been planned for many years, it was only more recently{{when|date=May 2018}} that this has been seen as an urban planning opportunity to increase community parks and access to the river itself. Connecting environmental conservation and restoration with intentional park development is a relatively new way to invest in new park infrastructure, as evidenced in increasing research in this area.{{Cite book|title=Is Landscape...? Essays on the identity of landscape|publisher=Routledge|others=Doherty, Gareth., Waldheim, Charles.|date = 8 October 2015|isbn=9781317450290|editor-last=Doherty|editor-first=Gareth|location=New York|oclc=923734610|editor-last2=Waldheim|editor-first2=Charles}}{{Cite journal|last=Poirier|first=Marc R.|date=1998|title=Introduction: Facing the Passaic|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/shlr29&collection=journals&id=11&startid=11&endid=27#|journal=Seton Hall Law Review|volume=29|pages=1–17}}
The United States Army Corps of Engineers has restored much of the shore along the banks of the river in Newark. The project included {{convert|6,000|ft|m|}} of bulkhead re-construction, and {{convert|3,200|ft|m|}} of riverbank grading and native plantings.{{cite web|url=https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Projects-in-New-Jersey/Joseph-G-Minish-Passaic-River-Waterfront-Park-and/|title=New York District > Missions > Civil Works > Projects in New Jersey > Joseph G. Minish Passaic River Waterfront Park and|website=www.nan.usace.army.mil|access-date=2 May 2019}}
The park, originally announced in 1999 with a ground breaking taking place in 2008, is being developed through a partnership with the City of Newark, The Trust for Public Land, the [http://www.newarkcedc.org/ Newark Community Economic Development Corporation], and the Essex County Department of Parks. In its initial stages it was called the Joseph G. Minish Passaic River Waterfront and Historic Area in honor of Joseph Minish.{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2008/07/improvements_on_the_way_for_ne.html|title=Improvements on the way for Newark's Minish Park|first=George|last=Berkin|date=2 July 2008|website=nj.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.njherald.com/article/20080701/ARTICLE/307019990|title=Newark development emerging|date=1 July 2008|website=New Jersey Herald}}
The first phase which parallels Raymond Boulevard, encompasses 12 acres and opened in 2012. Designed by Mott MacDonald, it includes playgrounds, fields for soccer and baseball, a boardwalk, and walking trails. This gave members of the community their first public access to the river in over a century. It was initially known as Essex County Riverfront Park, it is part of the Essex County Park System.{{Cite news|url=https://jerseydigs.com/newark-walk-to-the-water-river-day-events-2017/|title=This Saturday, June 17th, Newark Will Celebrate Its Riverfront {{!}} Jersey Digs|date=2017-06-14|work=Jersey Digs|access-date=2018-04-27|language=en-US}}{{cite web|url=https://www.essexcountyparks.org/parks/riverfront-park|title=Riverfront Park - Parks - Essex County Parks|website=www.essexcountyparks.org|access-date=2 May 2019}}
File:Newark October 2016 002.jpg
Phase 2, adjacent to the existing Riverbank Park downstream of the Jackson Street Bridge, opened in 2013 with it one of the more prominent visual elements of the park, a fluorescent orange boardwalk with four large orange poles, viewable from trains on the Northeast Corridor downstream of Newark Penn Station.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/arts/design/newark-passaic-waterfront.html|title=Newark Revival Wears Orange Along the River|last=Kimmelman|first=Michael|date=2013-07-20|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-04-27|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.tpl.org/our-work/newark-riverfront-park#sm.00001erzilsjq8faeyzc144qk0z5e|title=Newark Riverfront Park|work=The Trust for Public Land|access-date=2018-04-27|language=en}}
Phase 3, upstream of Jackson Street Bridge, opened in December 2017, with a ceremony from Newark's Mayor Ras J. Baraka.{{cite web|url=https://jerseydigs.com/newark-prepares-next-phase-riverfront-park/|title=Newark Prepares for Next Phase of Riverfront Park|first=Jared|last=Kofsky|date=3 April 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://jerseydigs.com/phase-three-of-riverfront-park-in-newark-now-open/|title=Newest Phase of Newark's Riverfront Park Is Open {{!}} Jersey Digs|date=2017-12-21|work=Jersey Digs|access-date=2018-04-27|language=en-US}} This four-acre section includes walking and bike paths, river overlooks, open exercise equipment in a fitness zone, seating, lighting, and flood resilience features.
Ground was broken on phase 4 of the park in October 2017.{{Citation|last=City of Newark NJ|title=Riverfront Park Phase 4 Ground Breaking|date=2017-10-26|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgozt-_coq8|access-date=2018-04-27}} It was designed by James Corner.{{cite web|url=https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/james-corner-field-operations-to-lead-design-team-for-newarks-riverfront-park/|title=James Corner Field Operations to lead design team for Newark's Riverfront Park -|date=21 June 2016|access-date=17 May 2019}} The parcels along McCarter Highway are north of Dock Bridge and Newark Penn Station upstream to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).{{cite web|url=https://www.mfhlaw.com/newark-riverfront-park/|title=Newark Riverfront Park - Maraziti Falcon LLP|website=www.mfhlaw.com|access-date=17 May 2019}} Land adjacent to the park is zoned for mixed-use development.{{cite web|url=https://jerseydigs.com/newark-sell-930-mccarter-highway-boraie-development/|title=Newark Looks to Sell Waterfront Properties to Boraie for Mixed-Use Project|first=Jared|last=Kofsky|date=18 June 2018|access-date=2 May 2019}} The park will eventually reach Bridge Street Bridge.
File:New Jersey - Passaic River - Newark IMG 2285 Panasonic Corp - FBI Building.jpg
See also
- Mulberry Commons, a new city square downtown
- Kearny Riverbank Park
References
External links
- {{cite web|url=http://nishuanegroup.com/portfolio_item/riverfront-park-downtown-newark-project/|title=Riverfront Park – Downtown Newark Project - nishuanegroup.com}}
- [https://newarksriver.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/130807newarksriver.pdf Newark’s River: Public Access & Redevelopment Plan August 2013]
- {{cite web|url=https://www.placenj.com/2016/06/expansion-of-newarks-riverfront-park-to.html|title=Expansion of Newark's Riverfront Park to Bridge Street Moves Forward|first=Jared|last=Kofsky}}
- {{cite web|url=http://hectordesignservice.com/newark-riverfront|title=Newark Riverfront Park & Plan|website=HECTOR}}
- {{cite web|url=https://mastconstruction.com/project/newark-riverfront-park/|title=Newark Riverfront Park|website=MAST Construction Services, Inc.|access-date=17 May 2019}}
Category:Geography of Newark, New Jersey
Category:Parks in Essex County, New Jersey
Category:2012 establishments in New Jersey
Category:Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in the United States