Jersey City Officials Reveal Plans to Expand Fairmount Square Park

Rendering of the planned Fairmount Square Park

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and the Jersey City Parks Coalition have revealed plans to expand the city’s Fairmount Square Park to create a new outdoor destination for Bergen-Lafayette residents. The expansion was made possible by the acquisition of an auto body storage lot, which cost the city $275,000.

Located at the intersection of Fairmount and Summit Avenues, the new park will include a sidewalk around the perimeter and a pedestrian traffic signal for safe crossing at all intersections. The elimination of existing cut-through streets will improve traffic safety by reducing the number of conflict points between pedestrians and motorists.

When complete, the park will be expanded by 40 percent or approximately 3,200 square feet. New facilities will include playground equipment, grass and tree plantings, seating, crosswalks, and repaved walkways for pedestrian safety and a flagpole.

“This project has been a long time coming, and we are grateful to see the city stay on top of the original plans, as well as plan on making the space even bigger for our community and families,” added Summit Avenue resident Joey Sforza. “Our community and the children that reside here are deserving of a space that is beautiful, fun, and safe.”

Plans to expand the park kicked off in 2021, when city officials committed to permanently transform Fairmount Square Park from an island surrounded by busy roadways into optimized recreational space for local residents. The city then secured a grant for the park project by the Made to Move program, funded by Blue Zones and the Degree Foundation.

The process of the entire park improvement project, from start to finish, will be published by Blue Zones as a case study for other municipalities around the nation.

“Jersey City’s Division of Transportation initiated the pavement-to-park pilot project in 2019 in alignment with Jersey City’s Vision Zero commitment to incorporate place-making initiatives,” said Barkha Patel, Jersey City assistant business administrator. “This project is one of many examples of how Jersey City is working to capitalize on local assets to incorporate additional community benefits, especially surrounding transportation and traffic safety work.”

Before construction can break ground, the Jersey City Council will need to approve and sign off on the project. The voting procedure is scheduled for February 24 at Jersey City Hall.

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