Jersey City has $5 million in grant money to develop, improve and expand open spaces, parks and historic sites across the city. Mayor Steven Fulop was joined by now former Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey (Prinz-Arey recently resigned to become Executive Director of the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation) and members of the Jersey City Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board to announce that applications for grants are now open and will run through May 12, 2025.
“We established the Open Space Trust Fund to adequately invest in our parks, playgrounds, and historic sites, utilizing community input,” noted Mayor Fulop. “With this latest round of funding, we can enhance even more public spaces for residents across all neighborhoods to ensure that Jersey City continues to thrive as a vibrant and sustainable community.”
Back in 2016, voters approved a municipal tax levy to acquire, develop and maintain unused or open spaces and to repurpose and improve sites for conservation, recreation and historical purposes. In 2019 all six Jersey City wards received funding distributed in 2019, enhancing several open spaces and parks.
According to Insider NJ, some of those 2019 grants include:
WARD A
Martiniak Enright Park, Audubon Park and Ferris Triangle.
WARD B
La Pointe Park and Boyd McGuiness Park.
WARDS C & D
Canco Park, Pavonia-Marion Park, Pershing Field and Reservoir 3.
WARD E
Van Vorst Park, Mary Benson Park, Brunswick Community Garden and Hamilton Park.
WARD F
Bergen Hill Park and Arlington Park.
The current round of funding will grant as much as $500,000 per project to create and improve outdoor spaces. The goal is to fund efforts that will have a lasting impact, preserving the city’s history, generating new recreational spaces, or enhancing existing sites.
Examples of opportunities for Open Space Trust Fund Grants include-
Park improvements like dog runs, historical monuments, basketball courts, playgrounds
Land acquisition for conservation and recreation
Developing land for recreation and conversation
“From new playgrounds and basketball courts for families to fencing and lighting for safety to restoring monuments and water fountains for historic preservation and everything in between, the Open Space Trust Fund has proven critical to our neighborhoods,” stated former Councilwoman Prinz-Arey. “This round, we encourage eligible organizations to apply and take advantage of this critical funding.”
In deciding how to allocate funds, the Jersey City Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board is charged with reviewing, recommending, and prioritizing projects to determine those that meet the goals and objectives of both the Board and City Council.
“For years, the Jersey City Parks Coalition has been a proponent of enacting the Open Space Trust Fund, and since the establishment of the fund, we are grateful that residents recognize the value in investing a portion of municipal taxes towards park improvements. Additionally, we encourage revisiting prior projects that were awarded but not completed to fill any gaps in funding so construction can begin,” said Jersey City Parks Coalition President Paula Mahayosnand. “We will continue to work closely with the city and community to keep this momentum going in hopes of attracting more and more people to utilize our many parks citywide.”
Eligible applicants include the City of Jersey City and its government agencies and affiliates, plus local nonprofit corporations and qualified charitable conservancies with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Applications can be found here and are being accepted through May 12, 2025.
