FY25 Community Project Funding Requests
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman has submitted funding requests for Community Projects in New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2025. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Watson Coleman has certified that she, her spouse, and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects she has requested.
Rocky Hill Municipal Water Infrastructure Improvements
Project Recipient: Borough of Rocky Hill
Recipient Address: PO Box 188, 15 Montgomery Ave., Rocky Hill, NJ 08553
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for urgent upgrades to Rocky Hill’s aging water infrastructure. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because water main breaks are affecting residents’ water supply and impeding traffic on roadways.
Route 522 Realignment Extension
Project Recipient: Township of South Brunswick
Recipient Address: 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852
Amount Requested: $4,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for the construction of approximately 1.5 miles of new roadway and infrastructure upgrades including storm drainage improvements, water line installation, retaining wall construction, construction of infiltration basins, installation of curbs and sidewalks and roadway pavement. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would reduce traffic from the existing County Route 522 (Ridge Road), where backups are common, and create a new four-lane extension bypassing the existing roadway and residential area, reducing congestion, and improving safety.
Assunpink Greenway
Project Recipient: City of Trenton
Recipient Address: 319 E State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for a recreational development project that would transform former industrial sites within a Floodplain in an economically distressed, environmental justice neighborhood, into an active recreational asset. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will permanently transform this neighborhood and increase its resilience to climate and economic challenges.
Plainfield Center of Excellence Development Project
Project Recipient: City of Plainfield
Recipient Address: 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for a community center. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because, in addition to providing a wide variety of recreational amenities, the Center will also be utilized as a site for educational outreach, workforce development, and health monitoring. Funds will be directed toward architectural, engineering, planning, legal, financial, inspection, permit fees, or other professional services.
Delaware River Basin Commission
Project Recipient: Delaware River Basin Commission
Recipient Address: P.O. Box 7360, 25 Cosey Road, West Trenton, NJ 08628
Amount Requested: $715,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for several Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) programs that result in water security and clean water for our rivers, streams, reservoirs, groundwater. These include: DRBC leading research and monitoring on PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and support for the states PFAS action plans, DRBC water quality monitoring programs, DRBC programs that provide special protection for waters of exceptional value, DRBC programs to clean up legacy pollutants (like PCB) that impact water quality, DRBC programs to control pollution from wastewater discharges, DRBC programs to make improvements to aquatic life habitat, and DRBC supports for state of the art modeling of water quality and flow. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the Basin spans 13,539 square miles, includes parts of four states, all or portions of 42 counties, 868 municipalities, multiple government entities and jurisdictions, and twenty-two congressional districts.
Pennington Emergency Services Center
Project Recipient: Borough of Pennington
Recipient Address: 30 N Main St, Pennington, NJ 08534
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for upgrades to the existing Borough First Aid building to incorporate an expanded police department, house fire department volunteers from out of town, and serve as a warming/resting center for Office of Emergency Management/Public Works staff during emergency events. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would help address emergency services in Pennington, which are stretched very thin.
Route 28 Streetscape Phase 2
Project Recipient: Borough of Middlesex
Recipient Address: 1200 Mountain Avenue, Middlesex, New Jersey 08846
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Explanation and Justification: The project in Middlesex Borough aims to redesign and enhance the historic main street along Union Avenue and Bound Brook Road. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would improve safety and accessibility, reducing vehicular speed and revitalizing business districts. This initiative involves collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Middlesex County, and local municipal entities, and is critical for promoting pedestrian, cyclist, and transit rider safety.
Veterans Memorial Bridge Safety Enhancements, CR-535
Project Recipient: County of Middlesex
Recipient Address: 75 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Amount Requested: $2,292,112
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for improvements to the Veterans Memorial Bridge where CR-535 Main Street / Washington Road connects South River Borough with the Borough of Sayreville. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would enhance vehicular, pedestrian, and cyclist safety by modifying the road, physically separating bike lanes, and adding new sidewalks on the north side of the roadway.
Plainfield Smart City Project
Project Recipient: City of Plainfield
Recipient Address: 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Amount Requested: $4,713,618
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for the installation of technology in key areas of the City, including but not limited to the installation of wi-fi services, fiber optic infrastructure, license plate readers, and emergency blue-light phones. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would support internet access and resident safety.
Wireworks Building
Project Recipient: City of Trenton
Recipient Address: 319 E State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608
Amount Requested: $2,550,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for restoring the Roebling Wireworks building, a 30,000-square-foot historic building that is a critical part of Trenton’s history and an economic engine in the important transit district. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the building is a critical part of Trenton's history and has been repurposed to be a lynchpin to the identity of the city as a place connected to the past but embracing the future.
North Brunswick Safety Access Road
Project Recipient: Township of North Brunswick
Recipient Address: 710 Hermann Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902
Amount Requested: $830,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for the construction of an access/connector road. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would increase Linwood School safety in an emergency, provide overflow parking access, and serve as overflow in an emergency from the new Community Resilience Hub.
Milt Campbell Field Detention Basin Improvements and Flood Reduction Project
Project Recipient: City of Plainfield
Recipient Address: 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Amount Requested: $3,375,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used to improve the safety and usability of Milt Campbell Field by cleaning, stabilizing, and reconstructing the site’s stormwater infrastructure as needed. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would help to prevent occurrences of stormwater flooding and overflow and ensure that water and debris flow effectively through the site’s streams.
Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure
Project Recipient: County of Mercer
Recipient Address: 640 South Broad Street P.O. Box 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650-0068
Amount Requested: $4,859,400
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for installing fleet EV charging facilities for Mercer County’s Transit Resources to Aid the Disabled and Elderly (TRADE). The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because this project provides demand-response and scheduled fixed route services across Mercer County.