PASSAIC — The city’s Colonel Johnson Park made the state Department of Environmental Protection’s list for Green Acres funds.
The DEP approved the city’s $2.15 million grant request to convert the existing park into a splash park. The funds are part of this year’s $117 million Green Acres funds allotment.
“As we celebrate Earth Week, it is especially meaningful that we are adding playgrounds throughout New Jersey to give more children the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and connect with one another, while also expanding the public’s inventory of open space and lands statewide,” DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said.
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Mayor Hector Lora said that when the check comes in, the city will go out to bid almost immediately.
The plan, he said, is to convert the park, which has playground equipment and basketball courts, into a summertime oasis for the city’s youth, specifically for the youngest residents of the city’s 4th Ward. It will also be the city’s fourth splash park. The others are at Third Ward Park, School 11 and Dundee Island.
The hope is to provide significant upgrades that will make summer entertainment for children more affordable for local families.
“Not every family or their kids can afford to go a waterpark or to take the time off,” he said.
“There will be two pirate ships and splash pads, a complete waterpark,” Lora said. “There will be new amenities like charging stations where kids can go and do their homework. We want to afford kids the opportunity to do something positive.”
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During the cooler seasons, Lora said, much of the park will be usable as a playground for youths. Parking during the summer months will be available at nearby public schools.
The city held public hearings earlier in the year and applied for the grants. The DEP announced the grants Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passaic NJ gets funds to create fourth splash park