Westside Park

New Jersey

Nov 28

Written By Sustainable Digital

Location
Paterson, NJ

Status
Pending Construction

Construction Completion
2026

Site Area
26.6 acres

Construction Cost
$14M

People Served
174,986

Design Consultants
NV5

Special Features
River walk, upgraded recreational facilities, cricket pitch, boat launch, lighting system

Westside is a 26.6-acre park, constructed in the 1890s by the Paterson Parks Commission, with formal gardens, tree lined walking paths, historical monuments, and boat launches with access to the Passaic River. The park was conceived to be “a thing of joy and beauty forever.” Sadly, this promise to the community was broken by cycles of neglect and deferred maintenance. Over the years, its facilities have deteriorated to the point of being unusable. The communities surrounding the park were insistent in their call for change and at Mayor Andre Sayegh’s request New City Parks was invited to assist in the re-envisioning and reconstruction of this once vital flagship public park.

The county seat of Passaic County, Paterson was once called “Silk City” for its dominant role in silk production in the late 19th century. Other industries were attracted to Paterson, using the formidable power generated by Paterson’s Great Falls on the Passaic River, and it is considered by many to be the cradle of the American Industrial Revolution. Like many cities in the Northeast, this prosperity did not last, and the city of Paterson struggles to maintain its infrastructure, including its parks.

In 2017, the City hired NJCDC and NV5 to do a Master Plan of Westside that called for a re-imagining of the flagship park based on community input. In 2021, NCP was invited to lead the effort to create a park design incorporating community feedback gathered during an 18-month participatory design process. NCP simultaneously helped the city raise $14M in public funding to construct the extensive park renovation. Other partners in the design process include neighboring Hillcrest Houses and JFK High School, River of God Paddling, and local cricket, football, and baseball leagues.

The plans include a new vehicular and pedestrian circulation system with a ‘River Walk’ along the Passaic, an upgraded multi-purpose athletic field to include a cricket pitch, refurbished baseball fields, and fully renovated basketball and tennis courts. The improvements also include new seating throughout the park, a picnic area, a rehabilitated historic pavilion, a new children’s garden and play area, and a new boat launch, as well as new sports and pedestrian lighting systems to improve usability and safety. Westside’s tree canopy will be greatly augmented with the planting of 265 new trees.