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Gov. Phil Murphy’s office on Wednesday announced $100 million worth of grants and loans to help pay for open space, park and playground projects.
Details: The proposed funding plan, which still requires final approved by the Garden State Preservation Trust, would largely go to land acquisitions, including $42 million for park development in what the state defines as overburdened communities.
A small chunk of the money, less than $5 million, would go to buy out property prone to flooding, a program that the Murphy administration is eventually looking to expand.
The projects: Grant projects highlighted by the administration include: renovating Tippin’s Pond Park in Pennsauken; helping to buy a half-acre property, demolishing a former firehouse on site and creating a firehouse-themed splash park for children in Guttenberg; buying an 11.5-acre parcel in Edison to create a waterfront park; expanding the Holmes A. Adams Recreation Complex in Neptune City; and preserving the historic Colt Gun Mill on the Allied Textile Printing site in Paterson.
“With these investments, we will take another significant step toward ensuring all New Jersey communities have access to recreational opportunities and enjoy the benefits of natural resource conservation,” Murphy said in a press release. “The proposed projects will provide equitable and meaningful access to urban parks, help address the impacts of climate change, and advance our long-term resilience goals. Investing in our communities through these projects will improve the quality of life for families living across New Jersey now and in the future.”
The funding was announced by Murphy in Union City alongside his top environmental official, Shawn LaTourette, and state Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson), who’s also mayor of Union City.
A complete list of the projects is available at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s page for the Green Acres program.
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