The state of New Jersey has announced the award of $100 million in Boardwalk Preservation Fund grants to 18 municipalities across the state to address essential capital needs and ensure the longevity of boardwalks across the state.
The Boardwalk Preservation Fund, administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, is a strategic effort to maintain the vibrancy of Jersey Shore communities as tourism hotspots. It seeks to achieve this by investing in state-of-the-art materials that enhance storm resilience and ensure durable infrastructure.
DCA Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez highlighted the economic significance of boardwalks for many shore towns and cities. She mentioned the financial burden on local governments for maintaining, repairing, and strengthening these structures. The Boardwalk Preservation Fund, she explained, was created by the Murphy Administration to alleviate this strain and help the boardwalks continue to inspire and delight visitors for years to come.
The fund draws on federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. These funds have been dedicated by the Governor and Legislature to various economic recovery and revitalization projects across New Jersey.
Coastal counties and municipalities with existing boardwalks were eligible to apply for funding for boardwalk construction, repair, and maintenance. They had to meet at least one of several criteria, ranging from adding new boardwalk components to repairing ancillary structures.
Projects could include replacing old decking with resilient materials, improving access and safety with ADA compliant ramps and railings, or expanding existing sections of the boardwalk. Also, businesses needing to align with proposed boardwalk construction could receive grant funds for necessary upgrades.
Applications were evaluated based on project description clarity, objectives for the funding, breakdown of phases and timelines in compliance with ARP deadlines, capability to meet project deadlines, and identification of other matching grant dollars. Municipalities with high distress scores on the 2020 Municipal Revitalization Index were not required to identify a local match.
The fund prioritized shore municipalities experiencing financial distress, ranking projects in Municipal Distress Measure order.
Among the grant recipients are Asbury Park and Atlantic City, each awarded $20 million. Other recipients include North Wildwood, awarded $10.3 million, Cape May City with $6.7 million, and Ventnor with $7.1 million.