JERSEY CITY – Audubon Park is getting a makeover.

Jersey City announced Wednesday that Major John Desmond Park, more commonly known as Audubon Park, will be getting $500,000 worth of upgrades.

The overhaul will include the restoration of the park’s war memorial, a redesign of the playground, and the installation of a multi-purpose surface to support a variety of sports and activities. New LED lighting will also be installed in the park, while more trees will be planted and fences repaired.

Kim Wallace-Scalcione, the city spokeswoman, said the plans are still being finalized but the new multi-purpose playing surface will support everything from basketball to roller hockey to encourage neighborhood kids to play a multitude of sports.

The first phase of the renovations is scheduled to conclude before the end of the summer, as the dilapidated tennis courts are replaced with a shock absorbent surface to support a variety of activities.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop hopes the “significant potential” of the Greenville park will lead to better uses following the city’s investment.

“I think the city investing in the park and showing that we’re not neglecting it will lead people to treat the park better,” Fulop said. “It’s the first step to showing that we’re prioritizing (the park) and we hope that others will respect the park as well.”

Fulop said he instituted a new accountability system for the Department of Public Works as employees go through their daily park maintenance. He said DPW employees fills out a checklist of items that maintenance crews resolved or worked on, as well as problems they may have found. That information is then circulated between DPW leadership, Fulop, and the Jersey City Parks Coalition.

“This restructuring will increase maintenance and have better tracking for Public Works in their performance for the public,” Fulop said.

The Friends of Audubon Park, a volunteer group started by Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, worked with the city to collect community input regarding the park’s future and created a list of suggestions for improvements.

Fulop added that since the park touches three wards, it was necessary to engage the community and the council members who represent those wards.

“Audubon Park is a special park in this city because it provides open space and recreational options for three key areas of our city,” Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley said in a statement. “Investing in our parks is a no-brainer. I am happy to see that we are making progress and thank all the city divisions, elected officials, and park supporters that are working together to get this done.”