Monte Irvin ballfields get an upgrade

ORANGE — The modernization of the two ballfields in Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park in Orange has been completed.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced last week that the fields had been completed while the work to construct a new community center in the park is ongoing.

“The community relies on the county parks system for athletic fields and facilities to support recreation programs (and) school athletics. 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 infields with synthetic surfaces is a way to address the condition of the field and preserve more natural turfed areas in our parks.”

The two ballfields are in the northern area of the park. The alignment of the fields was changed so that one field was moved closer to Oakwood Avenue and the outfields of the two fields now overlap. The infields were redone with a synthetic playing surface and the outfields were sodded with natural grass. New fencing, benches, covered dugouts and drainage and irrigation systems also were installed.

The concept of updating the infields with synthetic playing surfaces and leaving the outfields with natural grass was first introduced in the Essex County Parks System in Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair. Because of the success of the project, it was replicated in Yanticaw Park in Nutley and Branch Brook Park in Newark, according to the county.

“I can’t say enough how this park has evolved and the many improvements that were made. I just can’t thank you enough and know that my father would be proud,” said Pam Fields, an Orange resident and daughter of baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin.

French and Parrello from Wall received a professional services contract for $99,000 to design the field improvements. The LandTek Group from Bay Shore, N.Y., was awarded a publicly bid contract for $2.4 million to perform the construction work. The project took about six months to complete.

“This is another example of the tremendous job that Joe has done not only in Orange but throughout the county. To have these state-of-the-art fields just a stone’s throw from where baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin lived and raised his family is gratifying,” said Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren.

“In the Orange Public School District, we are building better students and the fields that have been redone here definitely will be beneficial for our student-athletes,” said Orange Schools Superintendent Gerald Fitzhugh, II, who was accompanied by Board of Education President Fatima Turner.

Another project that is ongoing in Monte Irvin Orange Park is the construction of a new community center. The building will be located near the intersection of Central Avenue and Oakwood Avenue with the entrance being on Oakwood Avenue about 100 feet from the intersection. The building will be partially located on the footprint of an existing parking lot, which will be closed. The building will be 8,580 square feet and have a multi-purpose room that is about 5,000 square feet. There also will be a warming kitchen, space for a police substation, an office and storage space. The restrooms will be accessible from inside the building and from outdoors. If the building is not in use, access to the restrooms can be limited to just the outside.

A driveway will enable visitors to be dropped off right in front of the building and a covered entranceway will protect those entering the building from the elements. There will be a parking lot to accommodate about 50 vehicles. In back of the building will be a covered patio for outdoor seating and events.

  Essex County, Monte Irvin Park, Orange