New resiliency park opens in effort to curb flooding in Hoboken, New Jersey
HOBOKEN, New Jersey (WABC) -- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy celebrated the grand opening of the state's largest resiliency park.
The 5-acre ResilienCity Park is located at 12th and Madison Streets in Hoboken.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Senator Bob Menendez, and others joined the governor for the ribbon cutting on Monday.
"This park is a model for other cities dealing with climate change," Bhalla said.
The park can detain up to two million gallons of stormwater during heavy rain events to help mitigate the flooding in Northwest Hoboken.
The water is held in tanks underneath the park, treated and then released later in the Hudson River when it's drier outside.
"In a challenge as large and complex as climate change, we need to tackle it from every angle," Governor Murphy said. "That means reducing our emissions to prevent further warming of our planet, and making sure our state can withstand the worst impacts of a changing climate."
It also includes the city's third flood pumping station.
The park is the centerpiece of Hoboken's efforts to mitigate the effects of heavy flooding events that have plagued the area.
ResilienCity Park also features a new multi-purpose athletic field, a basketball court that doubles as a stormwater detention basin, playground, open lawn space, water spray area, and other open space amenities.
The project was made possible thanks to a $10 million grant from FEMA, low-interest financing through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank through the U.S. EPA Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, as well as $1 million in grants from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund.
Local students are also taking part in the project.
Hoboken High School sophomore Zoe Magaletta and the school's environmental club are proposing ways for families to help.
"We developed a way for citizens to have rooftop gardens to help catch water," Magaletta said.
Hoboken middle schooler Harrison Green and his club are making sure that the water being collected is safe before it enters the Hudson River.
"We catch fish, measure them and see how they're doing," he said.
For more information on ResilienCity Park, formerly known as the Northwest Resiliency Park, you can visit www.hobokennj.gov/nwpark.
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