‘From upgrading firehouses and police departments to delivering clean water’

0
713

Federal funds will upgrade and modernize equipment at three separate locations within the Bordentown City for Blacks Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and provide technology upgrades for the Lawrence Township Senior Center that will increase socialization and community gathering.

The funds totaling $1,803,000 for the wastewater project and $200,000 for senior center are two of 14 projects that Congressman Andy Kim (D-3) secured funding for in the state’s third district, according to Kim through a press release.

The congressman voted to bring $11,547,244 in federal dollars to the district through important Community Project Funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act. 

“From upgrading firehouses and police departments to delivering clean water and improving community and senior centers, I’m proud to be one step closer to delivering more than $11 million to help improve the day-to-day lives of people and communities across Burlington, Mercer, and Monmouth counties,” Kim said.

“This money will go to projects that people need and will provide better childcare and community services, safe travel, and reliably clean drinking water to families and businesses across New Jersey’s third district. I’m proud to have advanced this critical funding and look forward to seeing these projects move forward.”

The other projects include:

  • $1,567,179 for upgrading library restrooms to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, as well as replacing old and damaged windows, flooring, and furniture at the Hamilton Free Public Library which is used by more than 90,000 residents;
  • $1,000,000 for upgrading Westampton Township’s current firehouse with a state of the art, more environmentally friendly firehouse to respond to over 5,000 calls each year;
  • $959,752 to install dewatering equipment to lower the liquid content of sludge produced by the Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant, improving water quality for residents and businesses in the region;
  • $949,100 for the renovation and revitalization of the Freehold Family YMCA including major interior and exterior upgrades to provide enriching childcare, youth programming, multipurpose community space, health and wellness space, and mental health support for individuals and families of all ages;
  • $930,000 for upgrading all telecommunications services used by the Marlboro Township Police Department, enhancing public safety and community policing efforts;
  • $910,431 for the relining of the entire length (approximately 1.84 miles) of the Lakehurst Road sewer interceptor which stretches from Country Lakes to Browns Mills and is designed to protect both underground and surface water sources;
  • $850,000 for the construction of the Lumberton Community Center, a new facility that will provide critical programming and community space for events, recreational activities, and other purposes as needed by the community;
  • $783,382 for installing a twelve-inch water main extension from the Potts Mill Road/U.S. Route 130 intersection to the Florence Columbus Road/U.S. Route 130 intersection in Florence to improve water quality for residents and businesses on the dead end of the water line;
  • $500,000 to purchase the Holmdel Horn Antenna property, a National Historic Landmark, preserve the former Bell Telephone Laboratories site, and restore the historic satellite communications and radio telescope equipment previously used in the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation, which led to the confirmation of the “Big Bang” theory of the creation of the universe;
  • $500,000 for the construction of a new Riverside Township Municipal Building and Community Center that will allow offices and departments to function more effectively and efficiently, improving public safety, while also meeting the needs of the community at-large;
  • $394,400 for interior and exterior repairs and upgrades, rehabilitation, and restoration of the William R. Allen School, which educated African American children during the period of segregation in Burlington City, turning it into an early education site and community center;
  • $200,000 for improving the overall accessibility of the Gibson House Community Center by installing a new ADA-compliant automatic door at the front entrance of the building and an elevator to transform the building into a fully inclusive recreational resource for residents of all physical abilities; and
  • $200,000 for technology upgrades at the Lawrence Township Senior Citizen Center that aim to promote socialization and community gathering by expanding technological capabilities and enhancing interconnectedness among an often isolated community.