20 Jul ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF PROJECT TO MODERNIZE BASEBALL FIELD IN ESSEX COUNTY WEEQUAHIC PARK IN NEWARK
Published on July 20, 2026
Newark, NJ – On Monday, July 20th, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that the project to modernize the baseball field in Essex County Weequahic Park in Newark has been completed. The field was upgraded with a synthetic infield playing surface, natural grass outfield and new irrigation and drainage systems, fencing and site amenities. It is part of the County Executive’s ongoing initiative to revitalize the Essex County Parks System and ensure recreation facilities meet the needs of the community.
“The community relies on our Essex County Parks System for fields and facilities to support recreation and athletic programs. Therefore, it is imperative that we come up with new ways to make it easier to maintain our fields, provide up-to-date playing conditions and maximize use,” DiVincenzo said. “Improving the infield with a synthetic playing surface is a way to address the condition of the field and preserve more natural turfed areas in our parks,” he added.
“Under the leadership of Joe D., the county continues to put young people and our community first. This is an example of what the county is doing so people of all ages can come out and enjoy what this park has to offer,” Newark Councilman Pat Council said.
“I want to thank County Executive DiVincenzo for improving the field. They have done a great job keeping the fields and facilities in the park updated,” said Doug Freeman of the Weequahic Park Sports Authority.
“I am excited to get our players onto this field now that I see it’s finished,” Weequahic High School Athletic Director Sharif Battle said. “We are all very appreciative of this field being upgraded,” said Charles Alexander, Weequahic High School Baseball Coach.
The baseball field was upgraded with a synthetic infield playing surface and natural grass sod in the outfield. In addition, new fencing, dugouts, sidewalks and irrigation and drainage systems were installed at the site.
Similar field improvements where a synthetic infield surface and natural grass sod outfield have been done in Essex County Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair, Essex County Belleville Park in Belleville and Essex County Yanticaw Park in Nutley. Work to modernize the baseball field in Essex County Grover Cleveland Park in Essex Fells/Caldwell in this manner also is underway.
The engineering firm of French and Parrello from Wall was awarded a professional services contract of $96,850 to design the improvements. Zenith Construction from Orange was awarded a publicly bid contract for $1,625,000 to perform the construction work. The Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays were avoided. The project was funded with a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board. Work began in December 2025 and took six months to complete.
Revitalizing Essex County Weequahic Park
Other upgrades being planned is the creation of a new baseball field with a synthetic grass infield surface and natural grass outfield and the construction of a new maintenance garage off of Elizabeth Avenue.
Earlier this year, the walking track around Weequahic Lake was resurfaced and named in honor of Weequahic Park Association founder Wilbur McNeil and new outdoor exercise equipment was installed. In 2024, the basketball courts and tennis courts were resurfaced. In 2022, the Little League Field off of Elizabeth Avenue received a new synthetic grass surface. In 2021, the Feldman “Mootsie” Middleton, Jr. Community Center was replaced with a 15,000-square-foot modern building. In 2018, the Elizabeth Avenue playground was modernized with new apparatus and a rubberized safety surface and the restroom building was renovated. In 2017, The First Tee facilities were upgraded and the entranceway, parking lot and field house were modernized at Weequahic Golf Course as part of a $3.1 million project. In 2016, one of the baseball fields was modernized with a synthetic grass playing surface, new fencing and scoreboard and named in honor of the late Bill Hicks, a long-time little league and high school baseball coach. Also in 2016, the community center was named in honor of Feldman Middleton, Jr., one of the founders of the Weequahic Park Association and the Weequahic Park Sports Authority, and the playground was named in honor of activist Carl Sharif. In 2015, the playground by Building 92 was modernized with new equipment and a rubberized safety surface. In 2012, the four entrances to Weequahic Park received a facelift with traffic islands, lighting, paving and landscaping to beautify the area and enhance pedestrian and traffic safety, and the basketball courts were named in honor of the late Delano Gordon, founder of Above the Rim. Essex County partnered with the National Football League to install a new half-mile fitness course with six exercise stations in 2010. Weequahic Golf Course received a major overhaul in 2009 as part of $7 million modernization project in each of the County’s three public golf courses and the Weequahic Bridge was reconstructed for $3 million. A synthetic grass surface baseball field and four basketball courts were developed as part of a $1.8 million project in 2007. Essex County welcomed The First Tee and its nationally recognized youth leadership training program to Weequahic Golf Course in 2006. The First Tee constructed a state-of-the-art, three-hole youth golf facility for its program adjacent to the golf course. The playground at Building 96 at the Chancellor Avenue entrance to the park was modernized with new equipment and rubberized safety surface in 2006. The Elizabeth Avenue tennis courts were rebuilt in 2004.
DiVincenzo has partnered with the New Jersey Green Acres program, the NJ Department of Transportation, the Essex County Parks Foundation, Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board, Weequahic Park Association and The First Tee to secure grants to fund the improvements in Essex County Weequahic Park.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system in the United States. It has been expanded to include about 6,000 acres of land and includes 20 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, miniature golf course, five dog parks, a castle, Treetop Adventure Course and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. Weequahic Park is 311.33 acres, is one of the original five County parks created in 1895 and is the second largest park in the Essex County System.
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