This story is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement. Link to story: roi-nj.com/2024/07/16/finance/money-for-main-street-dca-awards-nearly-1-5m-in-grants-to-11-municipal-groups

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs announced recently that it has awarded $1.49 million in Main Street New Jersey Transformation Grants to 11 Main Street New Jersey district organizations across the state.

DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez said the grants are aimed at improving the appearance, quality of life and local commerce within MSNJ districts.

“DCA recognizes how important Main Street New Jersey is to the economic and social health of our communities, which is why we continue to invest significant resources in the program,” she said. “The grant funding will be used for storefront improvements, creative and cultural placemaking and marketing strategies to take downtowns to the next level. We can’t wait to see how these projects positively impact Main Street districts around the state.”

This is the sixth year in a row that DCA has distributed funding to MSNJ districts. The grants now total $5.5 million.

The MSNJ program helps municipalities improve the economy, appearance and image of their central business districts through the organization of local citizens and resources. Municipalities must apply and meet the program’s requirements to be selected to join the MSNJ program, which was established in 1989. These designated communities receive technical support and training from DCA to assist in restoring their main streets as centers of economic and social activity.

The purpose of the MSNJ Transformation Grants is to financially assist efforts aimed at enhancing the appearance, quality of life and local commerce in designated MSNJ districts. The projects must occur within the boundaries of the designated MSNJ district.

The seven types of projects and activities that were eligible for Transformation Grant funding include:

Storefront and façade improvement projects;

• Streetscaping projects;
• Courtyard and alleyway improvement projects;
• Public art projects;
• Placemaking projects;
• Operational assistance;
• Marketing assistance.
• Districts were eligible to apply for support to:
• Reimburse the salary of a part-time employee during the grant period;
• Reimburse the costs of an audit required by DCA; and
• Reimburse the costs associated with the purchase of technology or computer hardware needed for implementation of eligible projects or the functioning of the District Management Organization.

Here’s where the money went:

• Bergen: Fair Lawn Economic Development Corp.: $150,000;
• Burlington: Main Street Mount Holly: $150,000;
• Cumberland: Vineland Downtown Improvement District: $150,000;
• Essex: Downtown West Orange Alliance: $150,000;
• Essex: Montclair Center BID: $150,000;
• Essex: South Orange Village Center Alliance: $110,000;
• Middlesex: Metuchen Downtown Alliance: $140,000;
• Monmouth: Red Bank River Center: $150,000;
• Morris: Boonton Main Street: $125,000;
• Somerset: Downtown Bernardsville: $150,000;
• Union: Summit Downtown: $15,000.