Hudson Reporter Archive

Liberty State Park sports center proposed

The ball has started rolling on a project to construct a sprawling sports complex on the grounds of Liberty State Park that would house a battery of fields, courts and entertainment facilities. Still in the very early stages of planning, the sportsplex ultimately would have a price tag of $20 million. It would be built on a specific area of Liberty State Park adjacent to Phillip Drive. The joint venture would pair the Applied Companies, an area development company, with an operating team of individuals that will run the facility upon completion. As the developer, Applied Companies will be responsible for the planning and construction of the complex. Applied Companies is owned by real estate giant Joseph Barry, who also plans to build a golf course on the grounds of the state park. The developer has been applauded for making good use out of industrial land that had been difficult to sell off because of the poor appearance of the broken down factories and warehouses that currently litter the area. “This is going to be a first-rate, active recreation facility,” said David Barry, a principal of the Applied Companies. “While you have some of the trails and paths within the park, this will be a good complement to that.” Though no plans to associate the golf course with the sports complex have been announced, David Barry said that he would not rule out any cross-promotions. State and federal funds would be used to clear the land of any toxic or hazardous materials, depending on their severity and concentration. Said to rival the concept of Manhattan’s Chelsea Piers mega-mall of sports and recreation, the Liberty State Park facility is still in the beginning stages, with few details set in stone. But when and if the complex ever bounces into town, it would be a welcome addition, park preservationists said. “Recreation would be a welcome addition to the park,” said Audrey Zapp, commissioner of the Liberty State Park Commission. The early proposals for what is tentatively being called the Liberty Sports Center would include separate wings that would contain soccer, field hockey and lacrosse fields, swimming pools, ice and roller hockey rinks and a basketball center. Outdoor facilities such as lighted fields would also be included in the project. “We’re in the early stages of negotiating a development contract with the city,” David Barry said. Barry said he anticipates that nothing will be finalized until the summer, with construction possibly beginning this fall. According to that plan, Barry anticipates the facility would be open to the public by Fall of 2001. Zapp, who is also the founder of the Friends of Liberty State Park and an active environmentalist, praised Applied for planning to turn what was thought to be unusable land into something as attractive and environmentally-sound as a golf course. Zapp, who has stepped forward to prevent the construction of a garbage transfer station in Greenville and other hazardous projects in the vicinity, sang high praise for the addition of the proposed sports complex to LSP. “The indoor facility will not disrupt the park,” Zapp said. Outdoor recreation would not interfere with the future plans for the park that aim to conserve specific land parcels, Zapp said, adding that the open spaces would only enhance the area. According to Zapp, there are more than 100 species of birds that call the park home, with a great deal of endangered species included. The Peregrine Falcon, Northern Harrier and the short-eared owl are all residents that migrate to and from Liberty State Park each year. Zapp said that with the proper measures, the sanctity of the delicate species would not be disturbed. The Liberty Stare Park Commission will ask for a buffer, such as a wall of densely planted trees, to filter out the noise and impact that a busy sports complex would bring to Liberty State Park. Before any of the sports complex plans become final, the project must receive approval from the Jersey City Planning Board. “I have confidence in Bob Cotter [president of the Board] that he will take our suggestions,” Zapp said, citing a past working relationship. “We should be good neighbors,” Zapp continued. “The sports complex would be an improvement to the area. We should work together, as in any neighborhood, and that’s what we have here in the park. The new guy on the block should respect the wishes of the people that have already been there.”

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