Nine-year-old Yonaire Beltre, a fourth grader at Weehawken’s Roosevelt School, pulled no punches when he was asked how the major renovations to the township’s busiest playground, Louisa Park, turned out.
“It’s like the best park I’ve ever seen in the world,” said the well-traveled Beltre. “I was sad that I had no place to go for a long time. Now, I’m very happy.” .
Beltre was one of approximately 50 Roosevelt School students who were treated to some fun Monday afternoon when the township officially re-opened the park after nearly a year’s closure and an $880,000 overhaul.
The park, which is located on Boulevard East directly adjacent to Roosevelt School, last received a complete restoration about a decade ago. But since the park is so heavily used throughout the course of the year, township officials decided it was time for the makeover. .
Plus, the restoration and renovations came at no cost to the township taxpayers. The entire cost came via an assortment of state and federal grants. .
Close to $500,000 came from a federal Green Acres Fund. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs designated a special legislative grant of $282,000 for the project, with a little help from former State Assembly Speaker and new U.S. Rep. Albio Sires. An additional $100,000 came from a Livable Community Grant from the federal government. .
So the people of Weehawken have received a spanking new park at no cost whatsoever. Not a bad deal at all. .
“It didn’t cost us a dime,” said Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner. “Our entire legislative delegation was a huge help in this project. We all worked together to make sure this park received the work it needed.” .
Constantly renovated.
Because of the extensive work that was done to the park in 1994, there wasn’t a need to work on the park’s foundation. .
“The base of the park was fine,” Turner said. “So we put more into equipment than anything else. We had about six public meetings with the residents, with the school PTA [Parent-Teacher Association] concerning what they wanted to see done with the park, and they had tremendous input. Not only is this park used by the community, but it’s the main playground for Roosevelt School. It’s so heavily used all year long that we really needed to have this.” .
The renovations consist of heavy-duty playground equipment for climbing, sliding and riding. There are several high-tech pieces that are designed for heavy use. The ground of the playground is now made of a safe, rubberized surface with extreme cushion, in case a child falls. .
There is a state-of-the-art full-court basketball court, as well as another half-court facility, complete with fiberglass backboards, collapsible rims and colorized tartan surface. There is also a small workout area, complete with a sit-up bar and other equipment, for adults who want to enjoy an outdoor workout without heading to a local gym. .
There is also a string of old-fashioned swings. .
“The swings were a must,” Turner said. “Everyone wanted the swings. That was the biggest request.” .
There is also a high-tech water park, complete with decorative water cannons that will shoot water at the youngsters, albeit in a safe fashion. The water park also features a new sprinkler system that is bound to be an attraction to township youngsters in the summer months. .
“We were able to go out and get all the newest stuff,” Turner said. “This park is continually in use, so we were so glad to be able to make these changes. When you’re dealing with an urban area, you don’t have much chance to put new playgrounds in, because you don’t have much open space. We try to maximize the amount of open space we have. Now, every park in the town has been restored and resurfaced.” .
Sires took time out of his new congressional schedule to be on hand for the grand re-opening. He said that he remembered playing basketball at the park when he was a youngster growing up in West New York, but obviously, technology has come a long way since Sires was an aspiring basketball player. .
“We never had anything like this,” Sires said. “This is something great for the kids of the neighborhood. It’s a great park.” .
The youngsters agreed. .
“I’m glad it’s fixed,” said fourth grader Angelina Malenda. .
Fellow fourth grader Gianna Orecchio called the park’s renovations “totally awesome.” .
“I kept going to places after lunch and it wasn’t fun, not having the park to come to,” Orecchio said. “It’s a really nice place and I really like everything about it.” .
Mithin Nair, another fourth grader, was also pleased. .
“If I’m bored at home, I now have a place to go,” Nair said. “Compared to what we had here, this is incredible.” .