Surfside Park Construction to Begin Oct. 22

AVALON – Construction is expected to begin Oct. 22 on a major new addition to the Borough of Avalon’s recreational facilities. Surfside Park, a brand new park with abundant green space and a new playground, will be constructed adjacent to the Avalon boardwalk at 30th Street starting Oct. 22. The Borough of Avalon is the recipient of a $2 million grant from the Cape May County Open Space Program for the Park.
On Oct. 10, the Avalon Borough Council authorized a contract for Fred M. Schiavone Construction of Malaga for construction of Surfside Park. A pre-construction meeting was held with design professionals, engineers, the Borough, and the builder to discuss the project Oct. 16. The Avalon Department of Public Works will commence the initial work on the Park starting Oct. 18when playground equipment will be removed. The playground/park area will not be accessible to the public until spring, 2019 when the project is completed.
The initial phase includes the removal of the playground equipment; the installation of a safety perimeter fence; and site demolition. Schiavone Construction intends to work on a Monday through Friday schedule, with no weekend work planned. The parking lot located immediately to the west of the new Surfside Park will also be closed during the construction project. A seasonal bathroom facility will be removed, and the current bathroom facility will be removed with a new facility to be constructed. Public bathrooms remain at Avalon Community Hall and the two large parking lots located to the north of the Park, and to the south of Community Hall, will still be available for public use. Activities at Avalon Community Hall will continue with no interruption.
“Surfside Park will certainly be a heritage project that will serve families for generations to come in Avalon”, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “We are pleased to receive the $2 million grant from the Cape May County Open Space Program. This grant ensures that this Park will be available as open space for all Avalon and Cape May County residents and visitors for many years to come”.
The new Surfside Park will include brand new bathroom facilities to be located closer to the Avalon Boardwalk; changing rooms and rinsing stations for daytime beach visitors; a large lawn area for passive and active recreation; brand new playground equipment that will be ADA compliant; a small performance stage; a new ramp leading to the Boardwalk; new landscaping and tree plantings; and two gateway entrances to the Park that provide attractive photography opportunities. The entire project will be completed by May 22, 2019 in advance of Memorial Day weekend.
The Avalon Department of Public Works will be tasked with various electrical and lighting improvements at Surfside Park.  The Avalon Department of Recreation and the Mayor’s Recreation Advisory Committee is working on various recreational programming that will be held at Surfside Park starting next summer.