Message from Deputy Mayor Matt Adams – October 16, 2026

I am thrilled to share some wonderful news that broke just late last week. Our Township's application to the Union County Improvement Authority's 2026 Capital Project Grant Program was approved, and Scotch Plains has been awarded $2,000,000 to fund Improvements to Memorial Field! 

This was a competitive program. The UCIA had a total pool of $10,000,000 in capital funding set aside only for Union County's municipalities, and our community came away with a big share of it.  Best of all, the program is built to speed up important capital improvements without putting a matching-fund burden on local taxpayers. That is real investment in our community without asking more from your household budget.

A Field With a Special Meaning

Memorial Field, at 2435 Plainfield Ave., is much more than a ballfield. It was first built to honor the victims of September 11, and this project lets us expand and improve that memorial so future generations will remember those we lost. The roughly 2.8-acre park now has a baseball field, a playground, restrooms and a parking area.  

The planned park renovations comes at a time when the surrounding area of Memorial Field is undergoing a broader transformation.  Last year, the Township acquired a prior industrial site on Plainfield Avenue for use in connection with the anticipated new emergency services building to be built starting next year.  

Taking on the Memorial Field renovations brings economies of scale because that area can undergo construction work at one time, rather than requiring separate mobilizations of equipment and other resources.

What This Means for Our Families:

• A reconfigured ball field that makes the most of the space we have, so we can welcome more age groups and more players in our town’s baseball and softball programs, while providing enhanced playability.

• Sports field netting to protect spectators, park visitors, and our neighbors by keeping stray baseballs and softballs inside the playing area.

• Removal and renovations to the existing, outdated playground that will make the park safer and more inviting for children and families. 

• Covered dugouts, new player benches, and a renovated backstop, giving our athletes shade and better facilities during games and practices. 

• Bullpen and batting cage areas that provide players with dedicated space to warm up and build their skills without interrupting games on the field. 

• Stormwater upgrades to capture runoff and improve drainage, which will make the field more resilient and keep it in good shape for years to come. 

• An enhanced memorial to the victims of 9/11 that serves the core theme of the park – to never forget the sacrifices of those that we lost and serve as a living tribute to the resiliency of our community following the attacks.

All together, these improvements will make Memorial Field a safer, more functional, and more versatile place to serve our residents and youth sports programs for many years to come.   

Looking Ahead

Good projects take careful planning. While we have accomplished so much with our parks and recreation spaces in Scotch Plains in a relatively short period of time, reversing decades of de-prioritization will not happen overnight.

We expect the full project to take about 30 months. That includes surveys, engineering design and permitting, public bidding, about a year of construction, and final closeout.  The total project cost is estimated at $2,845,000, so this $2 million award covers the large majority of it.  I will keep you updated as each phase moves forward.

With Gratitude

Wins like this take teamwork. We owe special thanks to Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-22nd. Dist.), whose strong advocacy helped secure the state funding that made this grant program possible.

Special thanks are also due to the Union County Improvement Authority and Executive Director Bibi Taylor, as well as to the Union County Board of County Commissioners, for their partnership. 

Thank you as well to Municipal Manager Margaret Heisey and her staff for their hard work on the grant application.  Without them, we could not achieve this. 

When I picture Memorial Field after this project is done, I see kids in new dugouts, families gathered, neighbors cheering from the stands, and a memorial that remembers those lost on 9/11 the way they deserve. 

This grant is an investment in our children, in our neighborhoods, and in the memory of a day in our history, and the resilience that followed it, which further connects us as a community. 

I could not be prouder to share this news with you.