TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney and Assembly Deputy Speaker John Burzichelli and Assemblywoman Celeste Riley announced today that the Stand Up For Salem campaign has been approved for a $25,000 State grant to provide funding for planning and revitalization efforts in the city of Salem.
“As the county seat of Salem County, the city of Salem stands as a visible reminder that we have to support our South Jersey communities which are struggling with the effects of a national and global economic downturn,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Thorofare. “Through this grant, we can support efforts to revitalize Salem’s bustling downtown and encourage new business opportunities and economic rebirth in struggling neighborhoods. These funds will be put to good use, expanding on the progress already made to help revive Salem City’s economy and clean up the streetscape.”
The grant was made available through the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program, which is administered by the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and is intended to provide funding and support to municipalities and non-profits working to redevelop and revitalize their downtown neighborhoods. In the case of Salem, the funding will be used to expand upon the existing Salem Main Street Revitalization Master Plan, a blueprint for revitalization created by the Stand Up For Salem campaign to encourage growth and investment in the city’s downtown region.
Since its adoption in 1999, officials with Stand Up For Salem have raised more than $40 million, mostly through private investment, in support of the Salem Main Street Revitalization Master Plan.
“This grant is partly in recognition of the great things that volunteers with the Stand Up For Salem campaign have already been able to accomplish for the downtown region,” said Assemblyman Burzichelli, D-Paulsboro. “Through a concerted and organized effort, Stand Up For Salem has partnered with municipal officials to bring new business opportunities to their downtown and create a Main Street experience that all city and county residents can be proud of. This is the sort of economic stimulus which makes the most difference in the lives of residents in small towns and big cities around the State.”
The legislators added that they remain committed to working with Salem and other municipalities in their district that are serious about creating meaningful and sustainable economic activity and encouraging investment within their borders.
“Our office is always open to work with any communities willing to put in the effort needed to redevelop and revitalize,” said Assemblywoman Riley, D-Bridgeton. “Through existing State programs, we must provide support and funding to municipalities looking to pull themselves up by the bootstraps, and create a real plan for economic recovery and business investment. Working together, on all levels of government and with volunteers and private investors, we can put New Jersey in a better position to weather the economic crisis and come out the better for it.”