By Karen Keene

Middletown’s Swimming River Park is becoming a reality as construction takes place this summer to improve public water access and add recreational amenities. An effort years in the making, the project is a successful collaboration of the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, the Monmouth County Park System (MCPS), and Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) that preserves green space and restores a natural watershed for the permanent benefit of Monmouth County residents and visitors.

Located at 483 West Front Street in the River Plaza section of Middletown, Swimming River Park includes land that was once privately owned and home to Chris’ Landing and Chris’ Deli & Liquor. The County acquired the waterfront property in 2015 and former site of the deli in 2018, both with assistance from MCF, working together to make approximately eighteen acres at the confluence of the Navesink and Swimming Rivers into a new Monmouth County Park.

Christopher DeFillippo (1922 – 2014) opened Chris’ Deli in 1949 and the marina shortly after. The site was a popular stop for boaters and residents to enjoy lunch, fishing, and a launching point to the water. It became a beloved fixture of River Plaza over the years, known for its delicious subs, potato salad, and coleslaw, and of course, “Uncle Chris” and the entire DeFillippo Family. Stories abound of local children frequenting the store for penny candy, gum, and comics, and working shifts there when they became teenagers. The River Plaza Fair was hosted annually across the street, and the community gathered in winters to sled the hill by the water.

In recent years since the land was acquired, questions often arose about what was happening at the site, and understandably, concerns surfaced over perceived development or traffic disruptions.  The preservation of this scenic and ecologically significant waterfront property as a county park will prevent future development and allow for permanent public access to the water.

MCF’s charitable work ensures a permanent legacy of open space and natural habitat throughout the county, as Monmouth’s only county-wide land trust. The organization’s objective is to preserve land by determining how a property will be best protected and utilized so the public-at-large benefits. In this case, Swimming River Park was envisioned as a recreational park for residents and visitors to freely enjoy, be able to access the water, and ultimately create new memories in a place that was special to many.

Great care is being taken to pay homage to the site’s history, for instance with restoring the boat ramp and planning for a sledding hill. Construction taking place this summer on park improvements will include new bulkheading and a boat ramp, a kayak beach launch area, parking area, and walking trail. Once the planned improvements are completed, Swimming River Park will offer year-round fishing, crabbing, wildlife observation, touring the picturesque marshes and coves of the extensive watershed, and sledding during winter months.

Renovations at Swimming River Park will also involve final stages of a necessary clean-up. Chris’ Deli was demolished shortly after its purchase, and approximately nine acres of the hilly property are being capped to seal contaminants from asphalt road millings and other waste discarded at the site over the years, making the site safe and usable by the public. The asphalt millings, in particular, contain a carcinogen – PAHs (Polyciclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons). The capping process is a thoroughly safe remediation method approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) which will protect against exposure to the PAHs and prevent them leaching into the aquifer and river.

Another aspect of this collaboration, MCF oversaw the initial site clean-up and remediation performed by VHB on behalf of Monmouth County after they acquired the main parcel. Several areas of environmental concern were identified, investigated, and remediated to ensure no threat was posed. Clean-up and remediation toward the park’s development have since shifted to MCPS and continues to be regulated by the DEP.

MCF and our partners are grateful for funding support through the Hazardous Discharge Site Relief Fund (HDSRF) through NJDEP and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to support site investigation (SI), remedial investigation (RI), and remedial action work plan (RAWP) undertakings for this important project).

In the coming year, additional work is planned for Swimming River Park. An overlook memorial for MCF co-founder Judith Stanley Coleman (1935 – 2010), a well-known community activist, philanthropist, and lifelong resident of Monmouth County, will be installed. The project was funded by donors to MCF to honor Judith and carry on her legacy for the benefit of the public. Final phase plans for the park include a visitors’ center, subject to county approvals.

In no time, Swimming River Park will be bustling with park goers making new memories to be passed on to future generations.