SAYREVILLE – A park in Sayreville needing repairs has received a $500,000 grant from the state that borough officials intend to use to construct Sayreville’s first splash park on its grounds.
A Jan. 28 press release from Democrats in the New Jersey Legislature detailed the grant, which will be dedicated toward improvements to Bailey Park. According to the press release, the funds for Bailey Park, located on South Minisink Avenue, were released last week when Gov. Phil Murphy unfroze the remaining money allocated by the legislature in this year’s state budget.
The press release states that Sayreville officials intend to construct a spray park with the grant that would provide a water playground to children and visitors in the summer. If constructed, the splash park will be the first in Sayreville.
Sayreville’s state legislators all voiced support of the $500,000 grant and improvements to Bailey Park.
“Sayreville families have asked for park improvements in the past as they currently have to visit neighboring towns to enjoy a spray park,” Senator Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) said in the statement. “By upgrading Bailey Park, young children and students from nearby schools will be excited to once again visit and play in the local park.”
“I’m pleased the funding we allocated to Sayreville is now available to help them improve Bailey Park,” Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) said in the statement. “A park provides a place for residents to spend time in nature, gather with friends and family and enjoy a variety of free outdoor activities. Now, Bailey Park can once again be that place for the people of this borough.”
“It’s always a shame when any park or recreational area remains underused,” Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez (D-Middlesex) said in the statement. “Children deserve the opportunity to play outside and experience nature more often, which is why it’s important for Sayreville to be able to revitalize Bailey Park.”
Plans to construct a splash park at Bailey Park date back to 2016. Officials debated its value, necessity, potential costs and tax impact prior to the funds being allocated. At the time, the total cost of the improvements were estimated at $500,000.
Following the announcement of the $500,000 grant, current mayor Victoria Kilpatrick, who was a sitting councilwoman in 2016, said, “I want to thank the legislature, and especially Senator Vitale and Assembly members Coughlin and Lopez, for taking our town’s needs into consideration in the state budget. The improvements we can make to Bailey Park now that we have access to this funding will make a big difference in our residents’ lives.”