In September 2023, New Brunswick, N.J., welcomed long-planned park improvements to its beloved Feaster Park after a long year of park closure. Residents attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the park officially to the public. Various spaces have been developed to encourage locals to spend time utilizing these areas with their friends and families. Later, in 2024, a statue of Paul Robeson, a local hero, will be unveiled.

After a few years of discussion, planning and construction, the Feaster Park renovation has finally come to fruition this past September. The 5-acre park underwent improvements to ensure the community could take advantage of the beauty that the space has to offer.

Additionally, a nearby school — Paul Robeson Elementary — and other local community programs were considered during the inception of the park, to ultimately allow and encourage the community to use the new and improved spaces around the park.

On Thursday, Sept. 14, Middlesex County Commissioner Director, Ron Rios, and New Brunswick’s mayor, Jim Cahill, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony with students from the nearby elementary school. The joyous ceremony included festivities such as music, games, entertainment and food vendors for the residents, with an open invitation for everyone to attend.

Public information officer J. T. Miller of New Brunswick discussed the park’s inception, planning and execution in an email correspondence. When asked how the project planning and designing process went, Miller said, “Public questionnaires were circulated to residents seeking their input on the redesign and upgrades to Feaster Park. Two local service organizations, ‘Unity Square’ and the ‘Civic League,’ were also asked to provide feedback towards the park’s design and usage. The Trust for Public Lands was consulted with and handled the design process.”

During the park’s planning phase, it was important for local officials to gain feedback and insight from the residents who would be most affected by the improvements. Neighborhood stakeholders were also significantly invested in the planning and design process of Feaster Park.

The renovation project included updates to many of the already-present structures and building facilities within the park. Most notably, the park has had significant updates and additions to the amenities. These include the new summer water features, designated age-specific playground spaces, refurbished public restrooms, basketball courts, a community garden, a multipurpose field, an amphitheater and an outdoor classroom space equipped with a special chalkboard for the students of the Paul Robeson Elementary School that sits directly across from the park.

Additionally, one of the most captivating features to be added, a cement walking path, has been designed to wind throughout the park in a circular pattern, allowing people to enjoy the scenery as they walk, run, bike or rollerblade.

According to J. T. Miller and other news sources, the project has cost the city of New Brunswick a sum of approximately $4 million. Miller discussed the funding in an email response, stating, “The funding for the project came from a $1.5 million Middlesex County Open Space grant, approximately $2 million in New Brunswick capital funds, and approximately $620,000 from an interlocal agreement with the New Brunswick Board of Education.”

Since the public’s reception was extremely important to city officials, it was made clear that the park’s intention was to provide locals with as many useful spaces as possible within the park to encourage attendance. Some spaces mentioned previously were part of this, but additionally, the park would be home to spaces for reading, table games, fitness classes, movies on the lawn, local performances and an array of seating areas.

So far, the overall reception of the park appears to be positive. When asked, Miller said, “The city has not collected specific utilization data; however, the city operates a park ranger program for all of the parks in the city, and the rangers have reported positive feedback on the park’s usage.”

While the majority of the renovations have been completed in the Feaster Park remodel, the city continues to develop the park areas and looks forward to the next project to be completed in 2024.

To continue progress, Miller mentioned, “A statue of Paul Robeson has been commissioned and is in the process of fabrication. The completed statue will be installed in Paul Robeson Plaza, an area within the park paying tribute to the late Paul Robeson, a hero in New Brunswick, remembered for his iconic work as an academic, athlete, actor and activist.” It is clear that the Feaster Park update was well received by the public and will become a beautiful, open, natural space for the residents of New Brunswick.

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