Carteret, NJ – Mayor Dan Reiman and Councilman Vinnie Bellino have announced that a $450,000 grant has been awarded to Carteret through the Middlesex County Open Space Fund. The award will be applied towards pending improvements at Carteret Park.
The project will include repairs and upgrades to existing amenities at Carteret Park, with the replacement of old or damaged walkways, new decorative lighting, landscaping, new curbs along adjacent streets, and improvements to the park’s storm-water drainage systems.
Grant funding will also assist with the introduction of Carteret’s first water-spray park, which promises to be a popular summertime attraction for residents and visitors. This new addition has been valued at $175,000.00.
One of ten parks registered with the D.E.P. on Carteret’s Recreational Open Space Inventory (R.O.S.I.), Carteret Park is the town’s largest municipal park. Located adjacent to Carteret Middle School, Carteret Park plays home to a variety of passive recreational amenities, as well as a range of athletic facilities including “Tomczuk Courts,” which underwent a $450,000 reconstruction in 2010, as well as the recently reconstructed Sullivan Field, and Leniart Field.
The Reiman administration has been lauded for securing over $87 million in grants, donations, and endowments since 2003, with over $38 million in park upgrades alone.
T&M Associates of Middletown has been engaged to conduct preliminary surveys and core sample work at Carteret Park, and are in the process of completing plans for construction.
Mayor Reiman said, “Our Freeholder Board has been quick to recognize improvements that will benefit a great number of residents both in and beyond Carteret. The Carteret Park project will allow for much needed upgrades while allowing us to introduce new features that will further its appeal as a regional attraction.”
“Carteret Park has been the focus of an array of improvements over the past few years,” Councilman and Parks Commissioner Vinnie Bellino added. “The quality of our system of parks has always been proportional to the variety of active and passive recreational amenities offered.”
