Berry Lane Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Berry Lane Park |
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Berry Lane Park along Garfield Avenue
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| Location | Jersey City |
| Area | 17.5 acres (0.071 km2) |
| Created | November 2016 |
| Open | 2016 |
Berry Lane Park is a fantastic park in Jersey City. It covers about 17.5 acres (0.071 km2) of land. What makes it special is that it was built on a "brownfield site." This means the land used to be old industrial areas, like rail yards or repair shops. It needed a lot of cleaning before it could become a park.
Building the park cost about $38 million. Construction started in 2012, and the park officially opened in June 2016. You can find it between Garfield Avenue and Woodward Street, close to the Garfield Avenue light rail station. Berry Lane Park is the biggest city park in Jersey City!
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What Makes Berry Lane Park Special?
Berry Lane Park offers tons of cool features for everyone to enjoy. It has two basketball courts and two tennis courts. There's also a baseball field and a soccer field for sports lovers.
For younger kids, there's a fun playground. On hot days, you can cool off at the splash pad water park. The park also has a special "rain garden" and over 600 new trees, making it a green and beautiful space.
How the Park Was Built
The land where Berry Lane Park now stands used to be 11 different properties. These included old rail yards, auto repair shops, and industrial buildings. Because of their past uses, the land had some pollution. It needed a big cleanup before it was safe for a park.
A company called PPG Industries helped a lot with this cleanup. They removed a huge amount of old waste from the area. This important step made sure the park would be safe and healthy for visitors.
After the cleanup, construction began in August 2012. The first steps involved finishing the environmental cleanup and leveling the land. They also built the baseball field and put in irrigation systems. Later phases added over 100 bright, energy-efficient lights. They also completed the turf baseball and soccer fields and built spaces for events. The final parts included concession stands, restrooms, basketball courts, and even a dog run.
Who Helped Fund the Park?
Building a park this big takes a lot of money. Many different groups helped fund Berry Lane Park. Grants came from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The New Jersey Economic Development Authority also provided money.
Other funds came from Hudson County and a special grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) also contributed.
Exciting New Additions
At the park's grand opening, Jersey City, New Jersey Mayor Steven Fulop shared some exciting news. The Tony Hawk Foundation gave a grant to build a skate park! This was great news for skateboarders.
A new baseball field opened in October 2016. The awesome skatepark officially opened in August 2020, giving kids and teens a cool new place to practice their tricks.
