Cliffside Park received more than $3.8 million in new grants that will be used this year for major infrastructure improvements and various services for senior citizens.
A pair of grants totaling $3,140,347 obtained from the state and county will be used for separating sanitary and stormwater systems with new equipment along various roadways in the southern end of town. Those areas include section of Palisade Avenue, Walker Street, Hudson Place, Cedar Street, and Washington Street among others.
The work is part of a three-phase $4.1 million project continuing through 2027.
“Our sewer systems are undergoing major upgrades to provide the best service for our residents and we are thankful to both state and county officials for providing this vital financial assistance,” Mayor Tom Calabrese said.
A $279,055 grant obtained from Bergen County’s Open Trust Fund will be used to add new picnic and game tables, kiosks, charging stations, and handicapped access work at the Senior Citizens complex at 500 Gorge Rd, Calabrese said.
The latest grant is part of the upcoming $1.5 million Honor Park project that also includes new benches, improved lighting, a gazebo, and a bicycle rack, the mayor said.
“The governing body is working tirelessly to ensure our seniors have only the best recreational programs and services to provide the highest quality of life for seniors” Calabrese said.
Additionally, a total of $192,000 was received from the county for various seniors programs. That includes $82,000 for payment of operations expenses; $70,000 for roof replacement work at the River View Apartments,; and $40,000 towards the purchase of a new transportation van.
Under the state’s NJ Transit Program the borough was also awarded a 16-passenger transport bus that is slated to be delivered in 2027, said Joseph Capano, executive director of the borough’s Senior Activity Center and Housing Authority.
The town’s ongoing major revitalization program for roadways is also continuing.
A $209,055 grant was awarded by the state’s Department of Transportation for various improvements for DeSoto Place, said NJ Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, of Cliffside Park, who heads the Assembly’s Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee.
“This competitive grant award is a testament to your unwavering commitment to advancing local infrastructure projects,” Clinton Calabrese wrote in a letter to the governing body. “Your leadership drives meaningful progress by prioritizing road safety, enhancing transportation, and improving our community’s quality of life.”
The police department separately received a pair of state grants totaling $14,000 that will be used for special law enforcement details.
Cliffside Park is also currently seeking additional grant funding for other infrastructure and recreational enhancements.
