Ground is set to be broken on April 15 on an African-continent themed miniature golf course and 300-space surface parking lot on a County-owned parcel of land at the intersection of Northfield Ave. and Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange.

Golfers should be teeing off by Sept. 1, according to Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr., at a press conference held Monday morning at Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange to outline plans for a 36-acre Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex. It would include the Turtle Back Zoo and Codey Arena, as well as the mini golf course and a family-oriented restaurant/boathouse the County is proposing to build.

According to DiVincenzo, the total cost to build the mini golf course and parking lot is $3.5 million, and the golf course -- which will have 21 holes representing landmarks including Mt. Kilimanjaro and the pyramids of Gisa -- is ultimately expected to generate $250,000 in annual revenue for the County.

The proposed Reservoir-facing restaurant would be 12,000 square feet, and a Request for Information has been issued for interested vendors. Work will only commence on the project when a vendor who can demonstrate the ability to generate revenue to offset construction costs can be found to commit to a long-term contract, according to DiVincenzo; otherwise, the scope of the project will be downscaled.

There's also a plan to run a trolley to connect the mini golf course, Turtle Back Zoo and Codey Arena. The entire complex will be fenced in, DiVincenzo said, and sidewalk will be put in along Northfield Avenue and Cherry Lane to allow for easy access into the Reservation from the recreation complex.

The County is also in talks with the city of Orange to obtain a contract for boating on the Reservoir.

"Most people don't even know Orange Reservoir is there," said DiVincenzo, who noted that his vision is for the complex to become a destination for New Jersey residents. "People won't even know they're in Essex County."