FY2024 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 2024. 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.
Requests
Trenton Mercer Airport Taxiway Project
Project Recipient: County of Mercer
Recipient Address: 640 S. Broad Street, Trenton, NJ 08650
Amount Requested: $6,000,000
Explanation and Justification: This project will include the reconstruction of a portion of Taxiway A (from the TW A - Taxiway C intersection to Taxiway J intersection point of curvature, roughly 25,800 SY). This project will entail a full reconstruction of Taxiway A to provide the required pavement strength for the existing fleet mix. The project will also include minor grading, and airfield markings required for the project as well as turf restoration.
Rebuilding of Ewing Senior & Community Center
Project Recipient: Township of Ewing
Recipient Address: 2 Jake Garzio Drive, Ewing, NJ 08628
Amount Requested: $10,000,000
Explanation and Justification: This project will repair the Ewing Senior & Community Center that was devastated by a fire in September of 2022. In doing so, the center will be able to continue supporting multiple activities for the community, especially catering to the senior and youth population. This project will among many things, repair the roof, address all fire related damages, and modernize the facility for future use.
Montgomery Floodplain Restoration Project
Project Recipient: Township of Montgomery
Recipient Address: 100 Community Drive Skillman, NJ 08558
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Explanation and Justification: A large portion of municipal vacated property is within a flood hazard area and is subject to periodic flooding and property loss. Funding would be used to help offset the costs to remove this hazardous condition and return the environmentally sensitive land to a natural state to increase resiliency and overflow of the Cruser Brook during storm events. Additionally, swift demolition will remove what has become a hazard and liability for the Township.
Ryders Lane Bicycle and Pedestrian Extension
Project Recipient: County of Middlesex
Recipient Address: 75 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Request Amount: $680,000
Explanation and Justification: The project will extend the Shared Use Path along Ryders Lane to fill in the gap between Butterfly Park and CR 535/ Cranbury Road. This will connect high density residential areas to the nearby elementary school, thereby increasing safety for pedestrians in a heavily utilized zone and encouraging utilization of those non-vehicular modes of transportation.
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 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. Signatory funding will support 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.
Plainfield Smart City Project
Project Recipient: City of Plainfield
Recipient Address: 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Amount Requested: $4,713,618.34
Explanation and Justification: The project will support the implementation of an extensive technology-based initiative to improve safety and quality of life within the city. These will include the installment of wi-fi networks at city parks and housing authorities, which will serve underserved residents, particularly children seeking to engage in remote learning.
Mt. Carmel Guild Rehabilitation
Project Recipient: Mount Carmel Guild of Trenton
Recipient Address: 73 North Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08609
Amount Requested: $1,247,000
Explanation and Justification: This project will rehabilitate three buildings in Trenton, New Jersey, all needing numerous necessary and essential repairs. The buildings, which are over 165 years old, have housed the Guild for over 103 years and allowed grassroots organizations to provide charitable service to the Trenton community. The location serves the food insecure and meets other needs of care receivers, many of whom do not have transportation.
Trenton Entrepreneur Accelerator Space Project
Project Recipient: City of Trenton
Recipient Address: 319 E State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608
Amount Requested: $800,000
Explanation and Justification: This project includes rehabilitating the Cadwalader Library Branch to create an Entrepreneur Accelerator Space for young residents to bring their business ideas to fruition in a dedicated space. Local organizations will provide business mentorship including business plan development and create a positive lasting impact on the city’s economy.
Route 522 Realignment Extension
Project Recipient: Township of South Brunswick
Recipient Address: 540 Ridge Road, South Brunswick, NJ 08852
Amount Requested: $4,000,000
Explanation and Justification: This project will extend County Route 522 in the Township of South Brunswick consisting of the construction of approximately 1.5 miles of new roadway and infrastructure upgrades. The project will consist of storm drainage improvements, water line installation, retaining wall construction, wetlands mitigation, construction of infiltration basins, installation of curb and sidewalk and roadway paving. The project will remove traffic from the existing County Route 522 (Ridge Road), an urban minor arterial, which provides one travel lane in each direction with shoulders to a new four-lane extension which will allow the large volume of vehicular traffic to completely bypass the existing roadway and residential area to gain access to major highways.
Princeton YMCA Renovation
Project Recipient: Somerset County YMCA
Recipient Address: 140 Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Amount Requested: $1,978,682
Explanation and Justification: This project will improve the accessibility and inclusivity of Princeton YMCA, through a planned facility renovation project that will update the building for ADA compliance, as well as address years of deferred maintenance in sections of the building. This project aims to remove barriers and improve equity, inclusion, and accessibility for all.
North Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project
Project Recipient: Borough of Dunellen
Recipient Address: 355 North Avenue, Dunellen, NJ 08812
Amount Requested: $1,572,080
Explanation and Justification: The project will further the objectives and goals of the Borough's Redevelopment Plan. The project is approximately 0.88 miles in length along a portion of Bound Brook Road and North Avenue and proposes streetscape improvements including decorative lighting, strategic placement of benches and trash receptacles, bicycle racks to promote bicycle transportation, and walkway improvements.
Trenton Library Community Center
Project Recipient: Community Loan Fund of New Jersey, Inc.
Recipient Address: 100 Albany Street, Suite 250, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Amount Requested: $700,000
Explanation and Justification: This project will complete the restoration of the historic East Trenton Library and its transformation into the East Trenton Library Community Center. Originally constructed in 1796, the building, which is located at 701 N. Clinton Ave, Trenton, NJ, and which is listed on State and National Registers for Historic Places, has sat vacant and deteriorating for the last fourteen years. Through over seven years of collaboration with community leaders, the City of Trenton, and Trenton-based historic-preservation architects, the restoration work for this project consists of restoring the building’s exterior, replacing its mechanical systems, adding an ADA-compliant elevator and two ADA-compliant rest rooms, and restoring the building’s interior rooms, with attention to preserving the interior’s historic architectural features.
Plainfield Avenue Corridor Improvement Project
Project Recipient: County of Union
Recipient Address: 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07027
Amount Requested: $433,000
Explanation and Justification: This project will install a new traffic signal, yield enhanced ADA accessibility, and make changes to the road to control speed and improve pedestrian safety. The Plainfield Avenue corridor is a key County Route in Plainfield connecting to the Union County/Middlesex County Line and State Route 28, also known as 5th Street in Plainfield. The area includes heavily utilized Cedar Brook Park and is home to three schools within walking distance of the corridor.
Plainfield Route 28 Improvements Project
Project Recipient: City of Plainfield
Recipient Address: 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
Amount Requested: $4,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The project will feature resurfacing among related safety and usability enhancements. These restorative improvements are vital for ensuring that Route 28 remains safe for usage, as it experiences significant wear-and-tear due to heavy-truck and commuter traffic. The roadway’s high volume of heavy trucks is caused by its proximity to several industrial and manufacturing buildings that are constantly visited by heavy trucks transporting goods to and from their respective buildings, resulting in a constant stream of heavy-truck traffic throughout the workweek.
500 Mountainview Terrace Bike Path Project
Project Recipient: Borough of Dunellen
Recipient Address: 355 North Avenue, Dunellen, NJ 08812
Amount Requested: $218,150
Explanation and Justification: This project will construct a looped bike path in the northerly portion of the Borough. The Project will generally include the construction of the bike path, landscaping, the restoration of the site and other incidental improvements. The Path is envisioned to supplement the proposed Green Brook linkage which is recommended under the Middlesex County Open Space and Recreation plan.