$53 Million to Make New Jersey Rivers & Parks a Luxury!
Governor Christie's Administration Awards $53 Million in Grants for the Passaic River and Newark Bay Complex in Projects Funded by pollution settlement.
PHOTO/Newark Riverfront Park, Trust for Public Land
Intelligent Luxury is for park preservation, especially making rivers navigable to citizens, and development on earth. Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin stated in a press release to the press that the Passaic River and Newark Bay Complex will be renovated with $53 million in grants from a settlement received from a chemical companies who polluted New Jersey waterways.
“The Christie Administration has been committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the remediation of the Passaic River, making sure that those responsible for the pollution pay for the cleanup, and reconnecting people to this resource,” Lieutenant Governor Guadagno said during a news conference today in Newark. “The residents of communities that line the river and Newark Bay complex have a right to enjoy these waterways – and today we mark a major turning point in achieving our goals.”
“Our rivers have long been lifelines of our cities, once serving as industrial highways that provided jobs and prosperity,” Commissioner Martin said. “Today, they are becoming picturesque avenues for high-rises, parks and recreational amenities that improve quality of life. The Christie Administration takes great pride in making our cities better places to live, work and play. Because of this grant program, perhaps never before have we seen such sweeping public access improvements planned for the Passaic River – or for that matter – any New Jersey river at one time.”
Newark’s Riverfront Park, Essex County boathouse at Riverfront Park, a walkway in Arthur Kill in Carteret, restoration of access to Dundee Island in Passaic City, and creation of a park and wetlands complex in Bloomfield.
The Newark Bay complex includes a series of waterways, including Newark Bay, that connect the lower Passaic River to Upper New York Harbor.
"We are pleased for Newark and Essex County to receive the $23 million total in grants from the New Jersey DEP to enable the next phase of the Riverfront Park including a boathouse to be developed by the county. This is our proportional share of a $190 million settlement with Occidental Chemical company the successor to the company which poured dioxins and other hazard chemicals into the Passaic River during the manufacture of Agent Orange,” emailed Ms. Aisha Glover, Acting EVP & Chief Business Officer and Mr. Jorge C. Santos, Vice President, Economic Development Policy & Strategic Planning from the NEWARK Community Economic Development Corporation.
Statement by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.:
We thank Governor Christie and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection for awarding Essex County $5 million to build a boathouse on the banks of the Passaic River. Partnering with Mayor Ras Baraka and the City of Newark, additional open space along the waterfront will be transformed into parkland that will expand Riverfront Park to the City’s Downtown District and provide public access to the water. This development will further enhance our residents’ quality of life and is sure to become an attraction that will promote interest, activity and economic development.
Newark Riverfront Park
Newark Riverfront Park
Grants are being awarded to:
· City of Bayonne ($900,013) for expanded public access to the Newark Bay waterfront through the creation of 1,200 feet of walkways that will include recreational and educational opportunities. The project will include the creation of living shorelines, which utilize native vegetation and shellfish to naturally stabilize the banks of waterways. Part of the walkway will consist of an elevated boardwalk that will connect to a kayak access point and boat launch.
· Newark Community Economic Development Corporation ($17.96 million) for expansion of Riverfront Park to include new paths and trails for walking and running. Riparian habitats, buffers and gardens will be developed for stormwater management. Recreation opportunities will be complemented by scenic overlooks oriented to urban views and “Discovery Barges” that will connect users to various aspects of the river’s cultural and natural history.
· Borough of Carteret ($6.58 million) for development of the second and third phases of the Carteret Waterfront Marina along the Arthur Kill. The second phase involves construction of floating docks, boat slips, a system to lessen the impacts of waves, breakwater construction and installation of a wave screen along the existing steel pier. The third phase will work with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to improve parking facilities and other marina amenities.
· Borough of Carteret ($6.67 million) for construction of a 1.4-mile walkway along the Arthur Kill, to be constructed in two sections. The southern section will feature a pedestrian bridge and possible overlooks and decks, bike racks and pier access. The northern sections will feature new landscaping.
· Passaic County and City of Passaic ($5 million) to work with the nonprofit Trust for Public Land to restore public access to the Passaic River waterfront at Dundee Island in Passaic City. The project is the first phase of a larger four-part vision for restoring contiguous access to the river.
· Essex County ($5 million) proposes construction of a boathouse, boat launch and dock as an extension to Newark’s Riverfront Park. The boathouse will have capacity for up to 100 boats. A second level will be available to provide indoor amenities and concession space.
· City of Hackensack ($695,000) plans several phases of improvements to Johnson Park, with the first phase to include construction of a kayak dock and launch system, boat ramp and launch, and passive park along the Hackensack River. A 110-space parking lot and access road across from River Street will make it easier for the public to enjoy these amenities.
· City of Garfield ($1.73 million) to acquire four properties along River Drive for development of a river walk that will include a park, playground, gazebo, decorative lighting and bike trails.
· Town of Harrison ($1.8 million) for acquisition of a 6.7-acre site to create and enhance public access and enjoyment of the Passaic River waterfront.
· Middlesex County ($1.35 million) to construct a waterfront park and esplanade adjacent to Washington Street in Perth Amboy. The project proposal includes more than 700 feet of walkway and new athletic fields on an 8.8-acre brownfield site bordering the lower Arthur Kill.
· Town of Harrison ($3 million) for development of a 12.5-acre park along the Passaic River that will include fitness stations, dog park, overlooks, food truck plaza, sports fields and wetland creation. Signs will provide educational information on the ecology of the waterfront and creation of wetlands.
· Bloomfield Township ($3 million) for converting a flood-prone brownfield site near the Passaic River into an 18-acre municipal park that will include stream corridor enhancement through removal of invasive species and construction of freshwater wetlands. In addition, a municipal park will be developed that will feature a meadow, butterfly garden, arbor, environmental center, river access and youth soccer field.
"In partnership with the DEP, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has launched a $1.4 billion remediation of the most heavily polluted area of the lower Passaic River, an 8.3-mile stretch that includes removing 3.5 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments to out-of-state facilities as well as bank-to-bank capping."
For more on Natural Resource Restoration projects in New Jersey, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/nrr/
For more information on Newark’s Riverfront Park, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2016/
