A Downtown pedestrian plaza that has become one of Jersey City’s top destinations will be getting a new play area for kids despite some concerns from local businesses.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop recently announced a plan to bring a new playground to the block of Barrow Street between Newark Avenue and Columbus Drive. The section of street was closed to vehicle traffic last year via an Executive Order from the Mayor’s office.
While the closing initially started as a pilot program, the street has remained closed to cars and will apparently be staying that way. The city did announce during the pilot program that if successful, they would be working out a plan to raise the street, build a playground on the plaza, and enhance the style and infrastructure to connect with the existing Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza.
A press release from the city says that they have already budgeted $1 million for these upgrades and will work with the community on a permanent vision for the Plaza. A timeline for the work hasn’t been announced.
“[The playground] will energize with children/parents (and) will attract family friendly businesses,” Fulop wrote on X (formerly Twitter) when announcing the move. “It’s the perfect size for something meaningful (and) we’ll start shortly (with) community engagement.”
Blueprints of the exact plans weren’t released, but the closure has been a bone of contention for some business owners in the community. It has nonetheless eliminated the car vs. pedestrian conflict that existed at the corner of Newark Avenue and Barrow Street, which features a raised roadway but had previously allowed cars to pass through.
There is also the consideration of a vacant lot on the corner of Barrow Street and Columbus Drive in terms of the implementation of the playground project, as that property is included in a 41-unit L-shaped development that will also feature frontage along Newark Street.
