A years-long saga over the future of Liberty State Park continued to play out Thursday night, but not as it was originally planned.
Instead of an open house session by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to discuss the plans for revitalizing the state park on the Hudson River waterfront, a party at a local brewery was hosted by a group supporting major changes at the Jersey City park.
The food was free, T-shirts were handed out and a DJ played music at the People’s Park Foundation event that was organized after the state postponed a public meeting scheduled for Thursday night.
Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker, a board member of the People’s Park Foundation, boasted that the group supports efforts to get “more amenities and different things in Liberty State Park,” while also shooting down the notion that the group is attempting to privatize or commercialize the park.
“We’re not privatizing anything, alright?” Walker said to the full house, some of home were bused to the event at the 902 Brewing Co. in Jersey City. “We just want to have other things in the park like fields.”
Across the street, a small group protested the event beacuse of its ties to billionaire Paul Fireman, who has lobbied to privatize and commercialize the park. Fireman, the former Reebok CEO, is the owner of the ultra-exclusive Liberty National Golf Club next to the park, has made attempts to acquire the Caven Point Peninsula area of the park to add three waterfront holes to his golf course.
“The whole idea that somehow (Fireman’s) doing this out of generosity of his heart and benevolence and for the kids of Jersey City just strikes me as really not likely,” said Jim Rife.
Thursday night’s events marked another twist in the battle over the amount of active recreation in the park. A state task force put together in 2021 has recommended roughly 60 acres of active recreation in the park and action on the remediation of the contaminated interior of the park.
The DEP was scheduled to present their revitalization plans for the park Thursday, but it was abruptly postponed two days beforehand due to “significant public interest.”
Groups funded by Fireman, like the People’s Park Foundation and Liberty State Park for All, have promoted a vision for the park that includes two 2,000-seat “NHL sized” hockey rinks, a 7,000-seat open concert venue, and a 5,000-seat sports stadium, among other proposals.
“(Those plans) would increase traffic here, would not be good for the existing residents who pay taxes,” said Jon Lorenzini, another protestor.
“The proceeds of all these events, are they going to pay and lower our taxes? Probably not. They’re going to private interests, who are then going to say that they didn’t turn any profits, and it’s not really going to go back to Jersey City.”
The people who attended the event over pasta, sandwiches and beer said that while they are opposed to privatization, they are on board with the ideas that the People’s Park Foundation have promoted.
“(The People’s Park Foundation) want the park to be a park of enjoyment,” said Willamae Tucker. “You can go any warm day and see a family with tents, grills and join each other. The family has to start somewhere.”
Walker dismissed the “narrative” about privatization in an interview, saying that he wasn’t onboard with that.
“Paul Fireman is somebody that wants to see good go in the park,” said Walker. “They keep talking about him, and that’s not the case. We’re talking about the community, and that’s what I keep coming back to — the community, what the community needs are.”
Sam Pesin, the president of the Friends of Liberty State Park, criticized the People’s Park Foundation and its founder Bob Hurley for “push(ing) destructive, exclusionary, admission-fee, traffic-jam causing commercial venues plans for the park.”
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