Title
Dept/ Agency: Economic and Housing Development
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Application for Grant Funds
Purpose: Application for Grant Funds to Support the Acquisition of properties between Bridge Street and 4th Avenue for the Expansion of Newark Riverfront Park
Entity Name: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Entity Address: 501 East State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08625
Grant Amount: $12,281,542.50
Funding Source: Green Acres Program
Total Project Cost: $16,375,390.00
City Contribution: $4,093,847.50
Other Funding Source/Amount: 0.00
Contract Period: N/A
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor ( ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
( ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale (X) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
(Address/Block/Lot/Ward)
1086-1096 McCarter Highway/5/1/Central
1098-1124 McCarter Highway/5/14/Central
1126-1134 McCarter Highway/6/1/Central
1136-1146 McCarter Highway/6/5/Central
1148-1154 McCarter Highway/6/11/Central
1196-1212 McCarter Highway/434/1/Central
1230 McCarter Highway/434/35/Central
125 Clay St/434/47/Central
220-262 Passaic St/435/1/Central
220-262 Passaic St/446/6/Central
174-218 Passaic St/437/22/Central
174-218 Passaic St/446/1/Central As Known As 220-262 Passaic St
164-172 Passaic St/437/11/Central
158-162 Passaic St/437/4/Central
152-156 Passaic St/437/1/Central
Additional Information:
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WHEREAS, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Green Acres Program (“State”), provides loans and/or grants to municipal and county governments and grants to nonprofit organizations for assistance in the acquisition, development, and stewardship of lands for outdoor recreation and conservation purposes; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark (“City”) wishes to acquire additional lands for the provision of open space and the expansion of the Newark Riverfront Park (the “Project”); and
WHEREAS, the City desires to further the public interest by obtaining funding in the amount of a $12,281,542.50 matching grant from the State to fund the acquisition of properties between Bridge Street and 4th Avenue to support the Project at a cost of $16,375,390.00; and
WHEREAS, the City pledges to contribute matching funds in the amount of $4,093,847.50 from the Open Space and Recreational Trust Fund to fund the Project; and
WHEREAS, by Ordinance 6PSF-e, adopted by the Municipal Council on February 17, 2016, the City amended the purposes of its Open Space and Recreational Trust Fund to provide that funds may be used for the expansion of the Riverfront Park, to include the acquisition of lands for that purpose; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Economic and Housing Development recommends that the City make application for such a grant; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Economic and Housing Development, with the assistance of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, has prepared an application package, entitled “City of Newark, New Jersey 2017 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection-Green Acres Program Local Government Assistance Application Land Acquisition and Park Development” (the “Application”), annexed hereto as Exhibit ‘A’; and
WHEREAS, as a condition of the Application, the City did advertise and hold a meeting for public comment on February 15, 2017, and no objections were voiced to the Application or Project; and
WHEREAS, the State shall determine if the Application is complete and in conformance with the scope and intent of the Green Acres Program, and notify the City of the amount of the funding award; and
WHEREAS, the City is willing to use the State’s funds in accordance with such rules, regulations, and applicable statutes, and is willing to enter into an agreement with the State governing the use of the funds for the Project;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Mayor and/or his designee, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development is hereby authorized to execute the Application in the form attached and any amendment thereto as an authorized representative for the City of Newark for grant awards from NJDEP Green Acres Program for the purpose of acquiring land to be used for open space as part of the Newark Riverfront Park project.
2. Matching funds in the amount of $4,093,847.50 will be provided from the City’s Open Space Trust Fund.
3. A certified copy of this Resolution will be forwarded to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program.
4. The Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development shall file a fully executed copy of the Application in the Office of City Clerk.
5. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This resolution authorizes the Mayor or his designee, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development to make an application for grant funds from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program in the amount of $12,283,542.50 for acquisition of lands for the expansion of Newark Riverfront Park. The City will pledge $4,093,847.50 in matching funds from its Open Space and Recreational Trust Fund.