Phase 1 of Pavement-to-Park Construction Completed to Double the Outdoor Recreation Space for Ward F Residents
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop joined City Council members, the Department of
Infrastructure, the Jersey City Parks Coalition, and community members today to officially open the
community-driven Fairmount Park following the renovation of underutilized lots and pedestrianization
of a cut-through street near Fairmount and Summit Avenues into a thriving park and playground with
amenities that will attract families of all ages to Ward F’s newest public park space.
Designed with full community input, the park
improvement project includes a new
playground, benches, and green areas with tree
plantings. A new fence now lines the park’s
perimeter after residents expressed the need for
a barrier along Summit Avenue. The project
also widened the sidewalk around the park, all
while maintaining traffic circulation and
existing parking spaces.
“This lot is unrecognizable from 2019 when we first envisioned creating a safe and accessible park where
none previously existed,” said Mayor Fulop. “Fairmount Park embodies our broader ambitions of
identifying innovative approaches to finding solutions to help this great community reach its fullest
potential. We made the necessary investments to significantly improve our parks and open space networks
citywide, which have become critical assets to our community and everyday quality of life.”
The City purposefully reconstructed the area to make the park much safer and more accessible to residents,
furthering the Fulop Administration’s goals of promoting a healthier, active lifestyle.
The City recently acquired an unsightly car storage lot
adjacent to the park to further expand the brand new park in
Bergen-Lafayette by 40% for the second and final phase of
construction. Phase 2 is currently in the design process as
the City hosts multiple community meetings and garners
public input. Construction is scheduled to start this Fall.
Throughout the first phase 1 of the pavement-to-park project,
the City’s team worked closely with local residents to ensure
the neighborhood’s needs are met. Following roadway
studies and multiple community meetings throughout the
construction process, the City designed a plan that provides
pedestrians with much safer access to the park. The once
triangle-shaped lot surrounded by cut-through streets was
reconfigured by reconstructing two small portions of roadway to create one cohesive public park space.
Notably, the entire design acts in furtherance of the City’s Vision Zero and sustainability goals.
“On behalf of the Jersey City Parks Coalition, we would like to thank Mayor Fulop, Director Barkha Patel,
and Vernon Richardson for actively engaging with the residents and community over the last three-anda-half years to transform this small, underutilized traffic island into a wonderful pocket park. Now,
residents of all ages can meet and relax, and neighborhood families can safely play under the cool shaded
trees and have a space to call their own,” said Paula Mahayosnand, President of the Jersey City Parks
Coalition.
Following the City’s successful pilot programs from 2019 through 2020, local residents enjoyed the new
park so much that it has remained ever since as the City made improvements and expansions over the past
two years.
“We are always looking for creative ways to build more parks and green space in the City for our
residents,” added Barkha Patel, Director of Jersey City’s Department of Infrastructure. “This project
gave us an opportunity to combine various initiatives within the department related to the advancement of
active transportation, sustainability, and innovation in the public realm.”
The City conducted multiple traffic studies to ensure that removing the two small segments of roadway
will have minimal to no impact on the surrounding streets and will not remove any existing parking. The
park renovation and expansion project also incorporates stormwater permeability throughout the lot, with
almost no impervious surface used within the park.
The newly established Fairmount Park is part of the City’s broader efforts to expand and improve more
neighborhood parks for all Jersey City residents to access. In 2022 alone, Jersey City advanced dozens of
park projects ranging from major open space upgrades to creating brand new parks to increase public open
space, such as City Hall Park and Courthouse Park, as a part of the Year of Open Space initiative.
The $500,000 park improvement project was partially funded by a $100,000 Blue Zones grant. The
process of the entire Fairmount Park improvement project, from start to finish, will be published by Blue
Zones to be used as case studies for what other municipalities around the nation can do to achieve similar
success. The City secured a grant for the project by the Made to Move program, funded by Blue Zones
and the Degree Foundation. Jersey City is one of five municipalities nationwide awarded the grant to fund
projects that promote healthy living and active transportation and serve as a model for other communities.
