HOBOKEN — The city’s new $10 million multi-use sports field at 1600 Park is officially open, 15 years after a group of local residents first protested against developers building two high-rise developments on the empty land.
While the Hoboken Travel Team members trained with New York Red Bulls coaches in the background, representatives from agencies that funded the project and park activists gathered at the multi-purpose field at 16th Street, between Park and Willow avenues,
Tuesday at 4 p.m. to snip a ribbon.
“We are here thanks to the vision of the Hoboken Parks Organization, a group that fought zoning changes that would have allowed residential buildings, advocating for buying this land, promoting their vision for a large park with access to the water,” Mayor Dawn Zimmer said.
Residents, including former Councilwoman Carol Marsh, came together in 1998 to oppose two high-rise developments on the site and lobby for the park,
The Hoboken Parks Organization persuaded former Mayor Dave Roberts to convert the land into a park, which was purchased by the Trust for Public Land in 2006.
“This is a dream come true for Hoboken Parks Organization,” said Leah Healy, a founding member.
The turf is striped for soccer, minor league baseball, lacrosse and tee-ball. When complete, the 2.1-acre park will also have restrooms, a dog run, viewing mound, slide hill, bleachers and leaning rails for spectators along the Park Avenue side of the field.
Officials who joined Zimmer included Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, Hudson County Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, Freeholder Anthony L. Romano, former Hoboken mayor Roberts and Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner. New York Red Bulls General Manager Jerome de Bontin also attended.
Zimmer said the 1600 Park will be linked to a waterfront park under the Park Avenue viaduct that will create 4 acres of open space, with a boathouse to facilitate kayaking, sailing and other water uses.
The Trust for Public Land coordinated purchasing the land in 2006 for $7.1 million, with $1.1 million funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, $2.3 million from the New Jersey Green Acres Program, $2 million from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund, and $1.7 million through bonding from the City of Hoboken.
“I am very pleased to be here with Mayor Zimmer and the City Council finally seeing this through to fruition,” DeGise said. “We all built things upon each other’s shoulders, and I think from one mayor to the next the baton was passed very, very well.”
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