It was a festive Thursday afternoon in Hoboken, as city officials cut a ribbon on the newly expanded, Southwest Resiliency Park. The active park has doubled in size and is protected from flooding, a frequent sight in the neighborhood during major rain storms.
Among those officials in attendance were Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, and Council members Ruben Ramos, Michael Russo, Tiffanie Fisher and Emily Jabbour, all candidates for Mayor this November.
The public park blends recreational amenities with stormwater management infrastructure. The expansion doubles the size of the original park, which opened in 2017, and marks a major milestone in Hoboken’s award-winning efforts to build climate resiliency while enhancing quality of life for residents.
The newly added 1-acre park space features six pickle ball courts, a full basketball court, a playground, picnic tables, a splash pad, swings, shade structures, restrooms, and a social plaza. All of the park’s amenities were shaped by an extensive, open public planning process utilizing community input through public engagement sessions and surveys.
On rainy days, the newly opened area of the park can capture and detain up to 260,000 gallons of stormwater using permeable pavers, bioswales, rain gardens, and a large underground detention basin to alleviate flooding in one of Hoboken’s most low-lying, flood-prone areas. With the expansion, the combined park space can now detain up to 460,000 gallons of stormwater, protecting homes, businesses, and infrastructure from increasingly frequent severe weather events caused by climate change.
Mayor Bhalla stated, “In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, Hoboken made a commitment to rebuild stronger, smarter, and more resilient. The expansion of Southwest Resiliency Park is a major step forward in fulfilling that promise, transforming a flood-prone area into a vibrant urban oasis and a national model for how cities can adapt to climate change while enhancing the day-to-day lives of residents through active public space. This park stands as a testament to what we can achieve when all levels of government work together. Thank you to Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Rob Menendez, our partners at Hudson County, and the Hoboken City Council for their critical support.”
“I’ve been advocating for more active recreation in the southwest for years, and I’ve fought to build the kind of parks I didn’t have growing up, so this ribbon cutting is personal to me,” addedFourth Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos. “I remember when this area was just an underutilized parking lot. To see it today transformed into a park with a new playground, basketball court, and pickleball courts that families can enjoy together is a major win for the Fourth Ward and the whole Hoboken community. I want to thank Mayor Bhalla and his administration, my Council colleagues, and our County, State, and Federal partners for helping turn this vision into reality.”
The Southwest Resiliency Park is a key component of the Rebuild by Design – Hudson River Project (RBD-HR) and the City’s comprehensive stormwater management strategy to delay, store, and discharge rainfall. It is one of the earliest projects in the nation to implement the Rebuild by Design framework, leveraging both above and below-ground green infrastructure.
The expansion site, formerly known as Block 10, was acquired by the City in April 2021 through an amicable agreement with Academy Bus, financed entirely through grants and trust funds with no impact to the municipal budget. The expansion project was made possible through a collaborative financing approach that includes funding from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund, the Green Acres Program, and over $6.24 million in federal grants.
“Hudson County is proud to support innovative municipal projects like the Southwest Park expansion project made possible by our Open Space Trust Fund. This project is critical to Hoboken residents, families and visitors, expanding recreational opportunities and actively mitigating flood risk in surrounding neighborhoods,” said Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. “This expansion – including new pickleball courts, a playground, a basketball court, and more – reflects the needs of the community and as County Executive I’m thrilled to see this project fulfilled, providing residents enjoyment for decades to come.”