First Street Park - Hudson County Open Space Grant

The chain-link gates leading into the First Street Park in The Village section of downtown Jersey City were locked in 1984 after only ten years of being unveiled as part of then-Mayor Paul Jordan’s “Legacy of Parks” campaign. Within that span, the park suffered irreparable damage due to vandalism, crime, and a lack of general maintenance. Village residents had no other recourse but to shut down the park. Consequently, deterioration and further vandalism virtually turned the site into a neighborhood eyesore and embarrassment. 

Times have changed. The Village, like other Downtown Jersey City residential districts, is undergoing a real estate and cultural renaissance. The VNA, a non-profit corporation formed by Village residents in 2007, is the steward of its quality of life issues. The VNA is determined to reinvent the First Street Park site (Block 410, Lots 25-27, 0.12 Acres) into a neighborhood amenity that will erase all civic scars and add to the Village’s ongoing rebirth. 

The VNA has gained the support of the City of Jersey City to spearhead this initiative. The VNA set forth and produced a Request for Proposal (RFP) which was sent to approximately a dozen architectural design firms. Four agencies agreed to share their design visions with the public during our October 2009 meeting. The design firm Future Green Studios was selected based upon public input and will be providing the city with detailed project drawings, including budgets, for the city to begin the bidding process this Spring. All work provided by Future Green was done pro bono. The city has since advised the VNA to apply for two grants to aid our cash-strapped City in funding the parks renovation. The Hudson County Open Space Grant application, and a state Green Acres grant application are both in the process.