LAUTENBERG, SIRES, BOOKER ANNOUNCE NEARLY $3 MILLION IN NEW FEDERAL FUNDS TO HELP REVITALIZE MINISH PARK
Redevelopment Will Continue Rebirth of Newark’s Waterfront,
City’s Effort to Reconnect Residents with Passaic River

NEWARK, NJ – Today, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ-13) and Newark Mayor Cory Booker announced $2.9 million dollars in new federal funding to continue the revitalization of Minish Park.  The funding will be used to build a two-mile riverfront with open space and mixed-use development and reconnect Newark residents and the city’s downtown to the Passaic River.  Lautenberg, Sires and Booker were joined by Deputy Commander Kenneth McDonald from the Army Corps of Engineers. 

“By securing this money and redeveloping our waterfront, we can spur development and our economy, and provide Newark’s families with a beautiful park to enjoy.  I’ll continue fighting for resources we need to revitalize the Newark waterfront,” Senator Lautenberg said.

“I believe that this project is a key example of the revitalization of Newark.  I assure you that I will do my part in the U.S. House of Representatives to support this project and look forward to its completion,” Congressman Sires said.

“The redevelopment of Minish Park is a key element in Newark’s revitalization efforts, and to improving the quality of life for all residents,” Mayor Booker said.  “This new federal funding affords the opportunity to reconnect Newarkers of every generation with the beauty of the Passaic River and restore our waterfront to its original grandeur.”

“Working in and around the communities we live in can be very rewarding,” Colonel Nello Tortora, New York District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said.  “The work we’re performing right here in Newark is especially rewarding because this mixed use development provides a win-win situation for the both the environment and the people of Newark.”

The new federal money will help finance the construction of approximately 9,000 feet riverfront walkway for Newark residents and visitors, large park areas, an educational center, a boathouse, and will enable the construction of a residential, retail and commercial buildings.  The funding will also pay for 6,000 feet of bulkhead replacement to prevent further erosion and 3,200 feet of wetlands restoration.  The current phase of the Minish Park project is expected to be complete in Spring 2009.  For more information and images, visit: http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/business/prjlinks/flooding/minish/index.htm. 

Today’s $2.9 million in new funding comes in addition to more than $22.4 million in funding for the project secured by several members of Congress, including Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez, and Congressmen Payne and Sires.

The redevelopment of Minish Park is part of the larger Newark Riverfront Project, which is vital to the City of Newark’s rebirth.  Once complete, the Riverfront will be a thriving center of new commerce and mixed-use development, and will link the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark Penn Station and the city’s downtown.

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