Passaic has a nearly $10 million plan to convert a blighted parcel along the Passaic River, known as Dundee Island Park, into what officials say will be a premier recreation hub.

The site would be the first waterfront park in the city, and the county’s first new park in almost 50 years.

The 3.5-acre parcel had become a hotbed for drug use, prostitution and homelessness, according to Mayor Hector Lora, who’s been targeting the parcel for redevelopment since he was county freeholder.

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“It’s going to give an opportunity for open space and recreation for children in our downtown area, where otherwise they did not have it,” said Lora.

The city’s aiming for a summer 2021 opening. Plans call for the park to have athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic areas and walking trails, paid for through state and county grants.

The plan is not without conflict. The area, alongside abandoned railroad tracks, had been used as a homeless encampment for decades, and some were hesitant to leave. The city’s human services coordinator, Cynthia Gomez, said she had tried for years to connect willing individuals to wrap-around services.

A public hearing about the plan will be held in the near future.