Title
Dept/ Agency: Economic and Housing Development
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing (X) Amending
Type of Service: Redevelopment Agreement
Purpose: Amending the Redevelopment Agreement with Military Park Partnership for Restoration of Wars of America Monument
Entity Name: Military Park Partnership
Entity Address: c/o The Newark Alliance, 744 Broad Street, Suite 1705, Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contract Amount: $300,000.00
Development Agreement Term:
City Contribution to Development Project: ( ) Grant or Loan ( ) Guarantee
(X) None ( ) Other
Developer Investment: N/A
Developer Third-Party Financing
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor ( ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
( ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale (X) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
List of Property:
(Address/Block/Lot/Ward)
Military Park/Block 124/Lot 1/Central Ward
Additional Information:
Resolution 7Rdo(as) adopted on June 15, 2005 designating entire City an “Area in Need of Rehabilitation”.
Ordinance 6PHSF-g adopted on September 3, 2008 established the “Living Downtown Redevelopment Plan”.
Resolution 7R2-e adopted on October 11, 2018, accepts a grant award from the County of Essex in the amount of $300,000.00 from its’ Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Local Aid Program (the “Open Space Trust”) to fund the renovation of the Monument.
body
WHEREAS, on June 15, 2005, the Municipal Council of the City of Newark adopted Resolution 7Rdo(A.S.), designating the entirety of the City as “an area in need of rehabilitation” as defined by the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 et seq.; and
WHEREAS, on September 3, 2008, the Municipal Council adopted Ordinance 6Phsf-g, adopting the Living Downtown Redevelopment Plan (the “Redevelopment Plan”); and
WHEREAS, Military Park (the “Park”), which is in the area covered by the Redevelopment Plan, is an historic six-acre park in Downtown Newark, which was used from the time the City was founded in 1667 until 1869 as a training ground for soldiers; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution 7R3-a(S), adopted on October 23, 2012, the Municipal Council authorized the execution of a Redevelopment Agreement (the “Redevelopment Agreement”), a lease, and a grant agreement with Military Park Partnership (“MPP”), in order to facilitate the rehabilitation of the Park in a manner consistent with the Redevelopment Plan; and
WHEREAS, MPP is a nonprofit organization created pursuant to Title 15A of the New Jersey Statutes for the purposes of serving as a redeveloper under the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law (“LRHL”) in order to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain Military Park; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Redevelopment Agreement, MPP agreed to rehabilitate the Park, in accordance with the Preliminary Work Plan annexed to the Redevelopment Agreement as Exhibit ‘C’; and
WHEREAS, at the center of the Park is the famous Wars of America Monument (the “Monument”), created by Gutzon Borglum, also the creator of Mount Rushmore; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to amend the Redevelopment Agreement as attached hereto as Exhibit ‘A’ in order to provide for the rehabilitation of the Monument as part of the Redevelopment Agreement; and
WHEREAS, on October 11, 2018, the Municipal Council adopted Resolution 7R2-e accepting a grant award from the County of Essex in the amount of $300,000.00 from its Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Local Aid Program (the “Open Space Trust”) to fund the renovation of the Monument; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the terms of the Redevelopment Agreement and the Redevelopment Plan, the City desires to enter into and execute an Amendment to the Redevelopment Agreement with MPP to provide MPP with the Open Space Trust grant in the amount of $300,000.00 for the purpose of renovating the Monument, consistent with the Redevelopment Plan and Redevelopment Agreement.
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 Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development, are hereby authorized to enter into and execute an Amendment to the Redevelopment Agreement with MPP to provide for receipt of a $300,000.00 grant from Essex County Open Space Trust for the purpose of restoring the Wars of America Monument.
2. This resolution and a fully executed copy of the Amended Redevelopment Agreement shall be filed with the Office of the City Clerk by the Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development.
3. This project does not require the use of additional City funds and all other terms and conditions contained in the Agreement authorized pursuant to Resolution 7R3-b, adopted December 16, 2009, shall remain in full effect and in accordance with the law.
Statement
This Resolution authorizes the Mayor and/or his designee, the Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development, to enter into and execute the First Amendment to the Redevelopment Agreement with Military Park Partnership in the amount of $300,000.00 for the purpose of renovating the Wars of America Monument at Military Park, with no additional City funds required.