NEWARK, NJ — Plans are in the works to carry out a $1.58 million renovation at the baseball field in Essex County West Side Park, officials recently announced.

The park, located in Newark, will get a facelift that includes a new synthetic grass surface on the baseball field, as well as new fencing, dugouts, a scoreboard, trash receptacles and park benches. Renovations will also be made to a restroom building next to the field, Essex County officials said. The modernization is being made possible through a partnership with the Essex County Schools of Technology, which will use the facility as the home field for the Essex County Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology boys' baseball team, officials said.

The improvements were designed in-house by the Essex County Public Works Department. Landtek Engineering of Amityville, New York, was awarded a publicly-bind contract of $1,582,620 to perform the construction work. The upgrades are being funded with a grant from the Essex County Schools of Technology, officials said. Work is scheduled to be completed before the start of the spring 2019 baseball season, officials stated.

"West Side Park has become the centerpiece of the neighborhood and is a symbol of the rebirth and growth of this community," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. "Modernizing our playing fields is important because members of the community rely on the county to provide facilities for sports and recreational activities," DiVincenzo Jr. stated. "The baseball field upgrades benefits the Payne Tech boys baseball team, but also ensures our residents have the finest fields on which to play."

"The upgrades to the West Side Park baseball field will ensure that our Payne Tech boys' baseball team has a home playing field," Essex County Schools of Technology Superintendent James Pederson said. "It will be a great addition to the community and will help in fostering a strong sense of unity with our students."

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