NJDEP awards Carteret with additional $1.4M Green Acres grant for Northern Riverwalk

The state Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded the borough of Carteret a $1.4 million Green Acres grant for the one-mile Northern Riverwalk, which recently started construction from Waterfront Park to Noes Creek, according to an announcement from Carteret Mayor Daniel J. Reiman.

Proposed improvements include an extension of the ADA-accessible waterfront walkway, the southern portion of which will open to the public soon. Like its southern counterpart, the Northern Riverwalk will include a 20-foot-wide boardwalk, railing, lighting and site furnishings. A portion of the walkway will extend out over the water for a scenic overlook.

“This a great opportunity to help expand our Riverwalk and boardwalk,” Reiman said. “The new walkway will increase the public’s access to the Arthur Kill and offer a passive recreational resource for all ages. Working with the state, we’ve completed about a mile and a half of boardwalk now, and we’re adding another mile going north. Once it’s completed, we’ll have two and a half miles. It really highlights all of the investment and all of the opportunity along the waterfront. We’re very grateful to Gov. Phil Murphy, NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette and Green Acres for these much needed funds to help complete this portion of the project.”

NJDEP’s Green Acres Program will invest more than $92 million in funding to local governments and nonprofit land trusts to acquire open space, develop parks and perform stewardship activities on parks in every county in New Jersey. The round of more than 75 projects approved by the Garden State Preservation Trust includes:

• $45.1 million for local development of parks and recreational facilities;
• $27.2 million for local (municipal and county) land acquisition projects;
• $7.4 million for local development of Completely Inclusive Playgrounds;
• $4.4 million for acquisition projects by nonprofit organizations;
• $3.8 million for local stewardship projects;
• $3.6 million for nonprofit recreational development;
• $720,000 for nonprofit stewardship projects.

“The projects recommended for funding to the independent Garden State Preservation Trust will help build and update New Jersey’s outstanding parks, recreation and open space inventories while providing for construction of inclusive playgrounds,” Murphy said. “These grants and loans will benefit numerous communities across the state by providing opportunities to engage in healthy activities, enjoy the outdoors and spend quality family time together.”

LaTourette added: “From our incredible Green Acres investments in local parks, to our historic investments in the restoration of natural resources throughout the state, the Murphy administration has put its money where its heart is. With Gov. Murphy’s vision and leadership, we are again investing in our planet with Green Acres awards in every county, accelerating our work to ensure that our neighbors across New Jersey can connect with nature and one another at quality open and recreational spaces.”

Carteret’s Riverwalk falls under local development of parks and recreational facilities.

The borough also was recently awarded a Community Development Block Grant for the Northern Riverwalk from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Northern Riverwalk will hug the shoreline through Waterfront Park and the remediated conservation easement donated by the DuPont Corp., also the future site of the Carteret Intermodal Transportation Building, the hub for the borough’s forthcoming ferry service, and Carteret Stages, a movie studio and hotel in development. The Northern Riverwalk will connect the future Transportation Building to Waterfront Park, Carteret Fishing Pier, Waterfront Fitness Trail and Carteret Marina.

“The Riverwalk won’t end there,” Remain said. “The borough plans to acquire the abandoned Conrail line that runs parallel to Peter J. Sica Industrial Highway and to the waterfront. We would create this 5-mile loop. In essence, we would create this five-mile Rails to Trails to boardwalk concept.”

Updates about the Northern Riverwalk will be available at Carteret.net.