A thing of joy and beauty forever.
Get Involved
Westside Park is for the community—and the Conservancy is built with the community.
Here are a few ways to get involved:
Join Us in the Park
Attend events, programs, and community gatherings. The more the park is used, the stronger and more vibrant it becomes.
Partner With Us
Are you part of a local organization, school, or business? We’re always looking to collaborate on programming and community initiatives that bring the park to life.
Support the Work
As the Conservancy grows, support from individuals and partners helps sustain programming, improvements, and the long-term care of the park.
Stay Connected
Follow along, share ideas, and stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the park.
What We Do
We support Westside Park in ways that keep it active, welcoming, safe, and well cared for over time. Our work focuses on four core areas:
Activate the Park
We support programming and events that bring people into the park—creating a space that feels active, safe, and connected to the community.
Build Community Partnerships
We work with local organizations, schools, and community groups to create opportunities in the park, strengthen neighborhood connections, and help keep lines of communication open between the City and the community.
Support Stewardship & Care
We help identify and support ongoing maintenance needs, working alongside the City to support a clean, safe, and well-maintained park, while helping strengthen coordination and accountability among partners.
Bring in Resources
We work to secure funding support that sustains programming, improvements, and the long-term care of the park.
About Westside Park Conservancy
Westside Park Conservancy is a community-centered effort focused on supporting the long-term success of Westside Park.
As the park enters a new chapter following significant reinvestment, there is a unique opportunity to help keep it active, welcoming, and well cared for over time. The Conservancy builds on that momentum by bringing people, resources, and partnerships together to support the park’s ongoing life.
Working in partnership with the City of Paterson, the New Jersey Community Development Corporation, as well as other community organizations, institutions, and residents, the Conservancy helps activate the park through consistent programming, strengthen community connections, and serve as a bridge by keeping lines of communication open between the City and the community.
A successful park is one that is welcoming, well-maintained, and visually appealing — supported by a steady presence of activity, clear communication, and ongoing care. The Conservancy supports these conditions by building partnerships, raising funds to support programming and improvements, and helping strengthen coordination and accountability among partners and stakeholders.
In doing so, the Conservancy complements and supports the City’s role—helping strengthen coordination, expand opportunities, and maintain a high-quality park experience over time.
At its core, the mission is simple: to help Westside Park thrive as a safe, vibrant, and shared space for the Paterson community.
Board of Directors
Mayor André Sayegh
City of Paterson
Bob Guarasci
New Jersey Community Development Corp. (NJCDC)
Chanda Bennett - Executive Director of WPC
New City Parks
Dacil Tilos
Friends of Paterson Parks
Daniel Osorio
Silk City Sluggers
Doug Goulding
Paterson STARS Tennis Academy and Youth Enrichment Service
Eddie Gonzalez
New Jersey Community Development Corp. (NJCDC)
Kathleen M. Long
Division of Local Government Services, NJDCA
Ken Morris
St. Joseph's Health
Rose Harvey
New City Parks
William Rodriguez
City of Paterson Department of Public Works
About Westside Park
1800s
Westside Park has been part of Paterson’s story for more than a century. Constructed in 1889 and further developed in the 1890s by the Paterson Parks Commission as part of the city’s early park system, it is one of the oldest parks in Paterson. From the beginning, it was designed as a place where residents could gather, connect, and enjoy access to nature along the Passaic River.
The park reflects the ideals of its time—open green space, tree-lined landscapes, and a commitment to creating welcoming public places for the community. It continues to offer a mix of active and passive recreational opportunities, along with impressive views of and access to the Passaic River. Over the years, it has served as an important neighborhood asset and gathering space.
2014
Like many urban parks, Westside Park has experienced periods of change, including times of disinvestment and underuse. In response, a renewed effort to plan for its future began in 2014, when the New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) secured funding from Passaic County to develop a comprehensive Master Plan for the park. Shaped through collaboration with community residents and partners—including the City, Passaic County, the National Park Service, and Paterson Public Schools—the Master Plan provided a roadmap for restoring and revitalizing the park.
2017
Adopted by the City in 2017, the plan laid the groundwork for future investment. In 2020, with support from a seed grant, New City Parks began developing detailed plans to guide the park’s full restoration. In 2021, New City Parks was invited to lead the development of a new park design shaped by community feedback gathered through an 18-month participatory process, while also supporting the City in securing approximately $14 million in public funding to advance construction. Support was provided by the Federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program (funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund), the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program, a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Block Grant program, and the City of Paterson.
2025
Beginning in 2025, significant reinvestment is reimagining Westside Park as a vibrant, welcoming space for recreation, community life, and connection. Its reopening marks an important milestone—not just for the park itself, but for the surrounding neighborhoods and the City of Paterson as a whole.
As the park begins this next phase, there is a unique opportunity to help it remain active, cared for, and shaped by the community for generations to come.
Upcoming Events
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Westside Park Ribbon-Cutting
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
11:00 AM
114 Totowa Ave, Paterson, NJ 07502