Baltimore County, Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Debut New Essex Field at Renaissance Park

ESSEX, MD – Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski along with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF), Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce, and Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks, today debuted the new Essex Field at Renaissance Park.
 
The $2.3 million in upgrades at the site include a synthetic turf field, an energy efficient LED field lighting system, permanent seating stands, scoreboard, and expanded sidewalk connections.
 
“Athletic fields like the new Essex Field at Renaissance Park provides residents of all ages the opportunity to stay active, have fun, and build new connections with their neighbors,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “We continue to be fully committed to the revitalization of Essex and grateful to our partners in this exciting project for their investment in the youth and families of Eastern Baltimore County.”
 
The lighted synthetic turf field provides greatly expanded and improved field sports access, allowing the field to be used into the evening or during or shortly after rainy weather. In addition to greatly expanding recreational opportunities in the greater Essex – Stembridge area, the facility will provide students with the nearby Our Lady of Mount Carmel School shared access by way of a new path to the field for various interscholastic sports activities.
 
 "Investing in our community’s recreational facilities is crucial for fostering a healthy and vibrant environment for our residents,” said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. “This is another critical community project made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act have which is helping reimagine and strengthen our neighborhoods. I commend County Executive Johnny Olszewski, the Ripken Foundation, and all those who made this project possible for their dedication and partnership to create safe and engaging places for our children and families to thrive."

“Marylanders need safe spaces to play sports, spend time outdoors, and connect with their community,” said US Senator Chris Van Hollen. “Through the American Rescue Plan, we secured funding to invest directly in the priorities of our communities – and I’m glad to see Baltimore County is putting these funds to good use by fostering healthy, active lifestyles and supporting local recreation for Baltimore County residents.”
 
"The State of Maryland provided more than $1.2 million to support the construction of Essex Field, the first Ripken Foundation field in Baltimore County, but the seventh in Maryland that has received State Revitalization Program funds," said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. "This field provides an environment to foster achievement and community pride and creates opportunities for area kids to make connections through teamwork and friendship while learning valuable lessons to help them succeed now and in the future."
 
This partnership project is funded by Baltimore County, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
 
"We are fortunate to have partnered with Baltimore County, Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce, and the Maryland Department Housing and Community Development for this project,” said Steve Salem, President and CEO of CRSF. “We know that our efforts here will make a world of difference to the kids in the area, an impact that cannot be understated. We are excited for the advantages the community will gain from having access to this park."
 
“It is appropriate that today we cut the ribbon on this new state of the art athletic field, where our youth and school teams will soon be playing, when it truly was a team effort to bring this project to life,” said Bob Smith, Director of Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. “We are extremely thankful to the County Executive, the Ripken Foundation, the State of Maryland, the Chamber of Commerce, Mt. Carmel and our other partners in supporting this amazing project that will provide a high-quality recreation facility to our users in Eastern Baltimore County.”
 
About the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation 
The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation helps to strengthen America’s most underserved and distressed communities by supporting and advocating for children, building Youth Development Parks and STEM Centers, partnering with law enforcement and youth-service agencies, and addressing community needs through its national program initiatives.