The City of Newark is excited to announce the opening of the 37th public park located at the former site of the Rodney dorms on Hillside Road. The park is situated on seven acres and features a fishing pier, playground and natural play area, paved and lighted walking trail, stormwater facilities, and educational signage. While the park is open to the public, small projects are ongoing including the installation of additional plantings and minor construction items. Two pavilions will also be added in the spring.

For the first time, the City asked the public to choose the name of the new park. In early 2020, Newark launched a park-naming contest and received more than 600 suggestions. After eliminating duplicates, 147 unique names remained. Staff narrowed down the list to seven top contenders, then Mayor and Council chose the winner. The winning submission is fittingly Hillside Park proposed by resident Barbara Morris. Hillside Park was suggested by several contest participants, but Ms. Morris was the first to enter. She won a $100 Parks and Recreation gift card and earned the chance to go down the slide before the park officially opened.

"We are excited to introduce our community to the long-awaited Hillside Park," said Parks and Recreation Director Joe Spadafino. "This park has many new and different amenities for the entire family to enjoy together."