Paterson reopens historic Westside Park after $14 million renovation

I like the park. I got to fly. It's so much better than it was before. Way better. After two years of renovations, Westside Park is back open, giving Patterson residents a renovated space to enjoy. This park dates back well over 100 years. The vision was for it to be a flagship park for Patterson and to have many amenities. And unfortunately, the park was neglected for so long. The 26.6-acre park now features a multi-purpose field, a playground, tennis, and basketball courts. But that's not it. If people want to take a leisure walk, there are tree-lined pathways, new lighting, new benches. There's also a river. We're going to have a boat launch. We're going to take boats out of this park into the river. Having these facilities in the community just provides easy access. It's all walking distance, so anytime if you want to get out with the family or if you want to send your kids, it's a good neighborhood. They can come here by themselves. It's a great space. Since 2018, the mayor says Patterson has invested over $150 million to improve all parks across the city. So we have federal grants that we applied for. The county assisted, the state assisted as well. More than $14 million went toward the Westside Park renovations. City officials say the investment is about addressing years of neglect and supporting the community well-being. I think it's going to be really great for the youth in Patterson as well as the elders and just anyone. In Patterson, Jennifer Portoreal, News 12, New Jersey.