Mercer Times

Trenton, N.J. – The City of Trenton Department of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture received a collective $2.2 million in three grants from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for its planned Taylor Street Soccer complex.

The City of Trenton will utilize $1 million from its annual budget to close the funding gap on this project. Mayor W. Reed Gusciora stated, “I am thankful to the Murphy and Biden administrations for investing in the Capital City. We are converting vacant buildings into community centers and open fields into functional recreational spaces.”

The Congressional Grants Division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the City of Trenton a $1 million Economic Development Initiative (EDI)/Community Project Funding (CPF) grant for the Taylor Street project. Leadership from U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman and U.S. Senator Cory Booker allowed the City of Trenton to secure the EDI/CPF grant.

U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman stated, ““As New Jersey’s sole congressional appropriator, I take great pride in making sure my constituents’ federal tax dollars come right back to their communities. The Taylor Street Soccer Complex is an innovative project that will create a functional recreational space for the Capital City. The new space will include amenities such as a full regulation soccer field, multipurpose athletic fields and courts, and an open picnic area for Trenton residents and visitors.”

U.S. Senator Cory Booker affirmed, “Once completed, the Taylor Street Soccer Complex will be a valuable asset for the City of Trenton, offering residents green spaces and natural trails, providing young people a site for recreation, and families a place to gather and enjoy the outdoors. This project was made possible by the close collaboration between local and federal partners, and I was proud to secure the necessary funding for the ambitious endeavor.”

Mayor Gusciora plans to restore an existing building on the site, which dates to the 1930s and will serve as a community open air pavilion with dramatic views of the Assunpink Creek. Funds will also create a multi-use trail overlooking the Assunpink Creek and a flexible park side picnic space with family games, grills, and tables. A regulation-sized natural turf soccer field, open air workout station, and a parking lot will be located at the site.

North Ward Trenton City Councilwoman Jen Williams, supporting these proposed plans, stated “Once the redevelopment of Taylor Street is complete, the building, fields, and pavilion will be a welcomed addition to recreational and community spaces in the North Ward and Capital City. Our city’s soccer and fitness aficionados will be the beneficiaries of this dynamic intergovernmental collaboration.”

The City of Trenton received a $1 million grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program to support this project. The U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service allocates the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), established by Congress in 1964, to protect water resources and cultural heritage, and to improve outdoor recreational opportunities. “The Taylor Street Project is a great example of ORLP partnerships taking place in cities throughout the country to create or renovate parks, trails, and recreational areas,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “These new playing fields and gathering spots funded by ORLP will expand community access to green space which is essential to our overall health and wellbeing.”

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is awarding the City of Trenton $226,975.00 in Urban Parks funding to develop a portion of the Taylor Street Soccer Complex as part of the larger Assunpink Creek Greenway. Commissioner Shawn LaTourette stated, “The Taylor Street complex is an important addition to the broader Assunpink Greenway Park that will give Trenton residents and visitors greater access to outdoor recreation opportunities that are vital in overburdened communities. The City of Trenton is doing truly transformative work in reclaiming industrial properties and making them recreation destinations for children and their families which, in turn, enhances the city’s economic vitality and overall quality of life.” 

Original source can be found here.