PASSAIC — Two years have passed since the city made its first attempt to revitalize Carnie Bragg Park, a small park at Myrtle Avenue and Main Avenue.
Since then, the city has gone back to the drawing board twice in hopes of finding additional funding and a cheaper proposal to save it from the illegal activity that has plagued it since COVID-19 closures.
This third plan includes an $858,000 proposal that the City Council is scheduled to vote on Oct. 9. The plan calls for construction of a new concession stand and improved aesthetics, including new pavers.
The original offer was about double. Initially, the city asked its Urban Enterprise Zone for a $500,000 grant. After bids have been rejected twice, a municipality is permitted to continue negotiations directly with potential contractors rather than seeking additional bids.
Mayor Hector Lora said the city worked with TNS Construction of Stanhope to create a workable and affordable plan for Triangle Park.
The new proposal
The current proposal calls for a concession stand at Carnie Bragg to sell coffee and packaged goods.
The plan ultimately is to return the park to its pre-COVID status. The new concession stand could be the answer, the mayor said, as other efforts to stop illegal activity at the park on the Clifton border have had only some success.
The plan will rely on the community visiting the park and helping to improve the entire neighborhood while making the area safer and more family-friendly.
“It’s gotten a lot better,” Lora said. “However, the motive here is not only to address this issue but also to bring amenity to an underserved area.”
In the immediate vicinity there are two schools, a large church and the local war veterans.
If the city council approves the proposal, the contract would go to TNS Construction of Stanhope. TNS is the same developer that converted the old fire station on Broadway into the Mayor's Dignity House. Lora had the dilapidated building converted into an outreach center to help provide needed services to the city's homeless population. It was also used as a Code Blue hideout.
Lora said his administration negotiated with TNS to reduce costs while maintaining the intricacies of the concession stand.
The new concession stand, the mayor said, will generate revenue for the city's repurposed Albert Lawson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. The post has been remodeled in recent years by Habitat for Humanity, adding housing above it to provide a source of income.
Located on Summer Street and a block from Bragg Park, the concession will use a portion of funds from coffee and other sales to support the VFW post.
The stand would be similar to others in the city, such as the Boathouse Café in Third Ward Park or the stands at Dundee Island and Pulaski Park. The city will build the concession stands and then find a bidder to operate them.
The Urban Enterprise Zone Authority has approved funds for this new version of the Carnie Bragg Concession Stand Project, but requires community approval for the submission, acceptance and expenditure of grant funds.
Carnie Bragg Park
Once a popular spot for community events, including the annual Christmas tree lighting, the park is now rife with gambling and the buying, selling and use of drugs.
The park is dedicated to the late Carnie Bragg Sr., a funeral director and community pillar who advocated for opportunities for youth in Passaic County. The new park will have a larger memorial to Bragg, the mayor said.
If the contract is awarded, the new offer package will also include several options, such as: B. adding a decorative fence, new audio system, lighting bollards and new landscaping.