Greenwald & Moen Bill Created Fund to Help Revitalize Boardwalks in Jersey Shore Communities
TRENTON (February 26, 2024) – Atlantic City is poised to receive $20 million to revitalize its boardwalk and attract more visitors to the Jersey Shore community. The municipality is among 18 grantees awarded a combined $100 million through the Boardwalk Preservation Fund, which was legislatively created by bill A5675. Assembly Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald and Assemblyman Bill Moen sponsored the legislation.
“Since its opening in 1870, the Atlantic City boardwalk has been an enduring gift to the community, and over the years, coastal towns have provided New Jerseyans with endless treasured memories. The support from the Boardwalk Preservation Fund is a testament of the the value and significance of these iconic structures,” said Majority Leader Greenwald (D-Camden, Burlington). “By undertaking the repair, reconstruction or expansion of boardwalks across these shore towns, we can enrich the lives of many permanent residents and entice more people to come and experience the beauty of the Jersey Shore.”
“This infusion of funds will breathe new life into the Atlantic City boardwalk, and will be a game-changer for our tourist industry, attracting more visitors and bringing a fresh wave of excitement to the communities,” said Assemblyman Moen (D-Camden, Gloucester), who chairs the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Gaming and the Arts. “For decades, families in New Jersey have crafted invaluable memories across the state’s legendary boardwalks and by taking on the task of repairing them, we can guarantee that future generations can forge their own cherished memories.”
The bill required the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to establish the Boardwalk Preservation to provide grants to counties and municipalities for boardwalk construction, maintenance, reconstruction, repair and expansion projects.
Improving access and safety by building ADA compliant ramps and railings and providing grants to businesses that need to complete upgrades to align with the proposed boardwalk construction are two examples of the ways grantees plan to use the funding.