Great Falls State Park
In 2006, New Jersey officially pledged no less than $10 million towards the development of the Great Falls State Park— creating an unprecedented opportunity for the historic district and the City of Paterson as a whole. Even more recently, Senators Lautenberg and Menendez, in concert with former Mayor and Congressman Bill Pascrell, have united the entire New Jersey Congressional delegation to spearhead a broad bi-partisan majority to help make the case for a new portion of the National Park Service: the Great Falls National Park. This important turn of events creates a chance to improve the quality of life in Paterson by maximizing the benefits of both State and Federal funding – a rare opportunity as the federal government continues devolving its fiscal responsibilities for core services and public goods down to local governments.
The current plan for the Great Falls Park was developed by Field Operations, an internationally recognized and award-winning landscape architecture and design firm. One of their current projects is the Highline, an elevated former train line in NYC. The entire Highline will be converted and redeveloped into a park and public space that cuts approximately seven stories above Manhattan’s meat-packing district and Chelsea neighborhood.
No stranger to former industrial landscapes, Field Operation’s plan for the Great Falls Park calls for the integration and transformation of many of the derelict industrial spaces into vibrant public spaces for all to enjoy. The plan creates a system of “living rooms,” each taking advantage of the unique nature of the micro environments in which their history originates. From the former raceways that fueled the engines of silk industry, to the majestic Great Falls overlook, to the former Allied Textile Printing (ATP) Site below the Falls, each “room” will reclaim the land and existing industrial building stock into historically significant and modern public space.
The final draft plan calls for the reclamation of the ATP site into a walking area and archeologically significant place to learn about Paterson’s powerful industrial legacy and its role in paving America’s economic path to independence. The final designs also call for a more modern and interactive public space directly below the Great Falls themselves—designed to support breathtaking views, and public events that will draw visitors from the region.
Because of the Great Falls, Paterson was founded along the Passaic River to serve as the first planned industrial city in the United States.