The new Cherry Blossom Welcome Center has officially opened at Branch Brook Park in Newark. The over $10 million project began in March 2022 and had its ribbon-cutting ceremony in November 2023. The 12,000-square-foot building pays homage to the thousands of cherry blossom trees that are in the park. Read on to learn more about the new Cherry Blossom Center in Branch Brook Park.
Coming to Life
The Cherry Blossom Welcome Center is all thanks to Essex County, DiCara Rubino Architects, and Tsivicos Enterprises. The project, per officials, was funded with grants from the state of New Jersey, the American Rescue Plan, and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. According to Patch, Tsivicos Enterprises, one of the most sought-after contractors in the tri-state area based in Neptune City, was awarded a publicly bid contract for $9,890,000 to construct the new building.
Photo Credit: Glen Frieson
In addition, DiCara Rubino Architects, a full-service architectural firm based in Wayne, received a professional services contract for $562,500 to design the new building — thus making the project total $10,452,500.
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The 12,000-square-foot building, which is located in the middle of Branch Brook Park, features high ceilings, natural light, and updated amenities for guests. The centerpiece is a large community room with a capacity to seat about 250 people. There are also various rooms, such as a kitchen, restrooms, coat rooms, and storage rooms.
Photo Credit: Glen Frieson
Upon entering, the lobby area features an imitation cherry blossom tree that allows visitors to get a glimpse of what the pink tree looks like in bloom. Also in the lobby are a gallery, display cases, and a mural that provides a history of the trees in the park.
On the exterior of the center, there is a large covered entryway in the front, a large patio in the back that overlooks the three baseball fields, and two bocce courts on the right side of the building that are covered to allow for use all year long.
According to the release, “A variety of site improvements also have been made, including enhanced landscaping, planting new trees, installation of benches and trash receptacles and water fountains.”
Photo Credit: Glen Frieson
Branch Brook also has a walking and running path, a dog park, a large kids’ playground, a basketball court, tennis courts, horseshoes, a roller rink, and picnic tables. At 360 acres in size, it’s the largest public park in the city of Newark with a portion of the park located within the Township of Belleville. It is also distinguished by being the first county park to be open for public use in the United States.
History of Cherry Blossoms
The Cherry Blossom Welcome Center is worth checking out to get the full history of the county’s cherry blossom trees. The collection started back in 1927 when American businesswoman Caroline Bamberger Fuld accepted a gift from the Japanese government and planted the first 2,000 trees in Branch Brook Park. Today, the park features a grove of 5,000 cherry blossom trees that is larger than the national display in Washington D.C.
Photo Credit: Glen Frieson
While there are no cherry blossoms on the trees at the moment due to the weather and the winter season, all will change in the springtime. The peak bloom, in past years, has been at the beginning of April.
Bloomfest, the park’s annual festival, normally kicks off on April 1st and takes place for two weeks. Bloomfest features Japanese cultural demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, a crafter’s marketplace, and food vendors. Apart from the festival, the park is known for having the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra performing an annual concert under the stars.
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What’s To Come
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. previously said that even though the county holds a variety of events to celebrate the cherry blossom trees, the center’s small size limits what can be done indoors throughout the year, according to Patch.
DiVincenzo said, “The larger building will help us expand our year-round programming in the park and will provide the public with an up-to-date facility to gather and hold events.”
The Cherry Blossom Welcome Center is normally open 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. For more information, visit Branch Brook Park’s website.
