Belmar wins $1.5 million federal
grant for waterfront revitalization
Award is largest in nation
(Trenton) - The Borough of Belmar Municipal Marina will receive $1.5 million in federal funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Acting State Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere announced today. Belmar received the largest amount of funding of nine towns selected nationally.
Administered by New Jersey’s Department of Transportation’s Office of Maritime Resources, the grant will fund a waterfront promenade that directly links the marina with downtown Belmar’s shops and restaurants and dockside amenities such as a pumpout station, shower and laundry facilities and landscaping.
Belmar is in the third phase of it’s multi-year, multi-million dollar Marina and Seaport Redevelopment project. When this phase is completed there will be a net increase of 223 boat slips, with 73 designated for transient use. The borough raised an additional $3,067,000. for the project through the sale of general revenue bonds.
“Recreational boating is vitally important to New Jersey’s economy,” said Lettiere. “This is a great enhancement to the Borough of Belmar and the local economy, and is a tremendous benefit for the transient boating public.”
This is the second year that the DOT’s Office of Maritime Resources has administered the National Boating Infrastructure Grant (NBIG) program in New Jersey, and the first time a tier two project has received funding. Grading criteria gives points based on various elements such as distance to significant cultural and natural attractions, project feasibility, development plans, public accessibility and economic impact to the community. Project costs are pro-rated to the amount of dedicated transient boater use, and applicants must provide a 25 percent project cost match. Only the highest-ranking proposals are funded.
The NBIG program is divided into two tiers. Each of the 39 participating states and territories will receive $100,000 this year to fund tier one projects. Larger scale projects (up to $4 million) are classified as tier two, and are selected through a nationwide competition. Some examples of eligible projects include aids to navigation, one-time dredging, breakwaters, bulkheads, dockside utilities, marketing materials, and other services that serve to increase and promote transient boating.
|
