Scotch Plains Receives $2 Million Grant for Memorial Field Improvements

Scotch Plains Township has been awarded $2 million to improve Memorial Field, according to a message from Deputy Mayor Matt Adams posted Oct. 16, 2026. Union County Life is reporting on the grant, which followed approval of the township’s application to the Union County Improvement Authority’s (UCIA) 2026 Capital Project Grant Program.

Adams said the program drew from a $10 million pool set aside only for Union County municipalities. He described it as a competitive program. The grant is designed to speed up important capital improvements without placing a matching fund burden on local taxpayers.

Memorial Field, at 2435 Plainfield Avenue, was first built to honor the victims of September 11. The roughly 2.8 acre park now has a baseball field, a playground, restrooms, and a parking area. Adams said the project will expand and improve that memorial. “Memorial Field, at 2435 Plainfield Ave., is much more than a ballfield,” Adams said. “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 planned renovations include a reconfigured ball field with covered dugouts, new player benches, and a renovated backstop. The project also includes bullpen and batting cage areas and sports field netting. The netting would protect spectators, park visitors, and neighbors by keeping stray baseballs and softballs inside the playing area. The existing playground, which Adams described as outdated, would be removed and renovated. Stormwater upgrades would capture runoff and improve drainage, and the work includes an enhanced memorial to the victims of 9/11.

The total project cost is estimated at $2,845,000, and the $2 million award covers the large majority of it. Adams said the full project will take about 30 months. That timeline includes surveys, engineering design and permitting, public bidding, about one year of construction, and final closeout. He said combining the Memorial Field work with other site work will allow that area to be built at one time, rather than requiring separate mobilizations of equipment and resources.

Adams also said the township acquired a former industrial site on Plainfield Avenue last year for an anticipated new emergency services building, which is expected to begin next year.

Adams thanked several partners. He credited Senate President Nicholas Scutari for advocacy that helped secure the state funding behind the grant program. He also thanked the Union County Improvement Authority and Executive Director Bibi Taylor, the Union County Board of County Commissioners, and Municipal Manager Margaret Heisey and her staff for work on the application.

“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,” Adams said. He said he will keep residents updated as each phase moves forward.

Find more Scotch Plains government news, parks updates, and local news on Union County Life.

Q: How much money did Scotch Plains receive for Memorial Field?
A: The township was awarded $2 million through the Union County Improvement Authority’s 2026 Capital Project Grant Program.

Q: What will the Memorial Field project include?
A: The project includes a reconfigured ball field with covered dugouts, new player benches, a renovated backstop, bullpen and batting cage areas, and sports field netting. It also includes a renovated playground, stormwater upgrades, and an enhanced memorial to the victims of September 11.

Q: How long will the project take?
A: Deputy Mayor Matt Adams said the full project is expected to take about 30 months. That includes surveys, engineering design and permitting, public bidding, about one year of construction, and final closeout.

Q: What is the total cost of the project?
A: The total project cost is estimated at $2,845,000. The $2 million grant covers the large majority of it.