Sports
$3.7M In Field Upgrades At Brookdale Park Hit Finish Line
The Little League/softball fields at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield and Montclair just got a big facelift.
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The ball is officially in play at Brookdale Park.
On Friday, Essex County officials announced the completion of upgrades to the Little League and softball fields at the county-run park, which is located in Bloomfield and Montclair.
According to a news release from the county:
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“The dirt infields on four Little League/softball fields were upgraded with synthetic playing surfaces. The outfields of the four fields were sodded with natural grass. A new drainage system was installed at each of the four fields. The improvements address flooding in the area and will enable the fields to be used quickly after rainy weather. In addition to the field improvements, new sports lighting was installed on the soccer field.”
The upgrades are expected to enhance usage of the fields and reduce maintenance, especially after rainy weather.
County officials provided the following details about funding and construction:
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“French and Parrello from Wall was awarded a professional services contract for $157,450 to design the field improvements. The LandTek Group from Bay Shore, N.Y., was awarded a publicly bid contract for $3,590,725 to perform the construction work. The Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays were avoided. The improvements were funded with grants from the the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board and the American Rescue Plan Act. Work started in November and was completed in six months.”
The upgrades at the park got a big thumbs up from local officials, including Donald McLoughlin, president of the Brookdale Park Conservancy, Essex County Administrator and former Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson, and Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia.
“We are definitely excited about these absolutely beautiful field improvements,” Venezia said.
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