$3M Baseball, Softball Field Upgrades At Branch Brook Park Are Done

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A renovation project at Branch Brook Park’s baseball and softball fields has crossed the finish line, officials announced Tuesday.

Known as the “Three Diamonds,” the area behind the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center includes a full-size baseball field and two Little League/softball fields. An improved drainage system will be installed to alleviate flooding, and the infield portions of the three fields have been updated with a synthetic playing surface. The outfield areas of the three fields remain as natural grass. New fencing, covered dugouts, bleachers for spectators, pathways and landscaping have been installed, officials said.

According to a statement from county officials:

“French and Parrello from Wall received a professional services contract of $88,000 to design the field improvements. The Landtek Group from Amityville was awarded a publicly bid contract of $3,068,000 to perform the construction work. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays are avoided. The project was funded with grants from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund and the American Rescue Fund.”

The county-run park is located in Newark and Belleville.

“The fields get a lot of use, and we were so used to calling the parks department to fix the fields after it rained,” Newark North Ward Councilman and Citizen Services Director Anibal Ramos said.

“This is a great improvement and is a tribute to the meeting the needs of the community,” Ramos added.

The upgrades also got a thumbs-up from Branch Brook Park Alliance President Thomas Dougherty and Forest Hills Community Association President Jackie Jay.

The renovations won’t disturb the historic elements of the park, New Jersey Sen. Teresa Ruiz said.

The concept of updating the infields with synthetic playing surfaces and leaving the outfields with natural grass was first introduced in the Essex County Parks System at Brookdale Park. Because of the success of the project, it has been replicated in Branch Brook Park, officials said.

“The community relies on our Essex County Parks System for fields and facilities to support recreation programs,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Therefore, it is imperative that we come up with new ways to make it easier to maintain our fields, provide up-to-date playing conditions and maximize use,” DiVincenzo continued. “Improving the infields with synthetic surfaces is a way to address the condition of the field and preserve more natural turfed areas in our parks.”

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