Patterson-City officials are planning to spend approximately US$1 million to install artificial turf in the Riverside Oval, which will be the fourth par with a synthetic surface since Andre Sayegh became mayor. Paterson Stadium.
The city also plans to spend $295,688 to replace the lighting at the Riverside site.
At the weekly meeting last Thursday, some city council members expressed disappointment that the work on the stadium might not start until next spring, which made it unusable for a few months after the start of the softball and baseball seasons.
"What prevents us from starting right away?" asked Alex Mendes, a member of the third district, who was where the venue was.
William Rodriguez, Patterson's director of public works, said the company responsible for installing the new turf told the city government that it needs approval before November 1 to complete the work in the off-season.
"We did not meet the deadline," Rodriguez told the committee.
"Whose fault is that?" asked Maritza Davila, the chairman of the board.
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"No one's fault," Rodriguez replied.
The director of public works pointed out that the oval is mainly used by adult leagues, not high school teams or youth entertainment projects. But this does not seem to satisfy the parliament.
"We need fields, period," Davila said. "Whether it is a child or an adult."
The committee plans to vote on a $1,022,227 turf contract with Montville American Stadium. Rodriguez told the council that the contract for the new lamp will be presented separately, but he explained that the actual construction work will be carried out at the same time to limit the time when the documents are no longer in use.
Since 2019, including this project, the Sayyeg government has spent nearly US$4 million on refurbishing sports fields. The city borrowed money for these projects or used federal community development block grant funds.
Other sites converted into lawns under Sayegh's leadership include Barkley Park in District 1, Branders Field in District 2, and Putnam Oval in District 4, which were renamed to commemorate the old Rayleigh. The mayor said that the next place will be the Commons Field where the lawn becomes the first ward.
“We prioritize improving our parks and grounds,” Sayeg said, adding that his government has also invested in Patterson’s playgrounds, including a $1 million project in Lou Costello Park and Roberto Clay’s Mente Park invested 200,000 dollars in the project.
Joe Malinconico is the editor of Paterson Press.