NJMC awards $1.7M TO Meadowlands Municipalities

LYNDHURST – The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) awarded $1.7 million in grant funding to its 14 member towns this week, the latest effort in the Commission’s commitment to enhancing quality of life in the Meadowlands District.
The grants will be used to fund a variety of projects including downtown revitalization, new emergency equipment and capital improvements.
The NJMC allocated $100,000 on Thursday to each district municipality through its annual Municipal Assistance Program (MAP). Towns have used MAP grant funding in the past for several purposes, including the purchase of new police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances, public works trucks and equipment, park and sidewalk improvements and park and community beautification projects. Towns have until Dec. 5 to submit their list of projects for this year’s MAP grants.
Also this week the NJMC awarded $310,000 in downtown revitalization grants. This grant program came out of the 2004 Hearing Officers’ Report and Recommendations on the Proposed Meadowlands Xanadu Redevelopment Project and are funded by Xanadu. The NJMC contributed to the report and pressed for the grants.
The towns will receive downtown revitalization funding toward the following projects:
Carlstadt: Purchase of recycling containers, banners and benches for Hackensack Street
Secaucus: Funding for summer concerts
North Bergen: Purchase of 20 iron park benches
South Hackensack: Revitalization of Huyler Street
Lyndhurst: Curb and sidewalk programs on Delafield Avenue
Kearny: Installation of security cameras along downtown shopping area and library
Rutherford: Marketing plan for downtown commercial district including creation of Web Site
Ridgefield: Purchase of electronic message board at Borough Hall
East Rutherford: Improvements to Park Avenue parking facility
Little Ferry: Improvements to Washington Avenue and Main Street
Moonachie: Streetscape project along Moonachie Avenue
North Arlington: Streetscape projects along Ridge Road