Seventy-seven thousand tons of hazardous waste. That’s what it took to transform this land. Welcome to Berry Lane Park.
Before you stands Berry Lane Park a testament to urban renewal. This 17.5-acre green space wasn’t always so inviting. For decades this land was an industrial wasteland. Rail yards junkyards auto repair shops and warehouses stood here. The soil was heavily contaminated with petroleum and heavy metals. A former chromium processing plant left behind a legacy of hexavalent chromium pollution. PPG Industries a major player in the area stepped up. They agreed to remove a massive amount of hazardous waste. This monumental cleanup was just the beginning.
The transformation of Berry Lane Park began in 2012. It was a multi-phase project a careful orchestration of environmental remediation and construction. First came the removal of contaminants and the grading of the land. Then came the construction of a baseball field and the installation of irrigation systems. High-efficiency lights illuminated the space. Turf baseball and soccer fields appeared. Event spaces offered new areas for community gathering. Finally the final phase brought concessions restrooms basketball courts a dog run and other features. It was a remarkable journey spanning years of hard work and millions of dollars in funding. The funding came from a variety of sources. This included the US Environmental Protection Agency the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Hudson County the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The park officially opened in June 2016. It was a grand celebration. Mayor Steven Fulop announced a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation for a skate park. This park quickly became the largest municipal park in Jersey City. It is a hub for recreation. People come here to enjoy basketball tennis baseball and soccer. Children play on playgrounds. Families gather in the event spaces. A rain garden contributes to the natural beauty of this space. Six hundred new trees offer shade and contribute to the vibrant ecosystem. The splash pad water park offers a fun respite during hot summer days.
Berry Lane Park is a symbol of resilience. It shows what can be accomplished when a community works together to reclaim and transform a polluted industrial area. It is a stunning example of how vision and perseverance can turn a brownfield into a vibrant green space. It shows that even the most contaminated land can be restored.