During a Memorial Day Weekend kickoff event Friday on the famed Asbury Park Boardwalk, state and local officials highlighted projects to strengthen boardwalk infrastructure up and down the Jersey Shore. The upgrades result from the $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund.

The bipartisan legislation was passed alongside the Fiscal Year 2024 budget and signed into law last summer by Gov. Phil Murphy. The governor was also on-hand Friday in Asbury Park.

The fund utilizes American Rescue Plan money. It will help repair facilities and make improvements in nearly 20 towns and cities.

When Senate Bill 3989/Assembly Bill 5675 was signed last August, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) opened the application process for shore municipalities. The initiative aimed to ensure the funding addressed the most critical and necessary capital needs at the shore. Additionally, it sought to prioritize funding to shore municipalities facing financial distress and to projects that rehabilitate or improve the resilience of existing structures.

Asbury Park received $20 million when the grants were awarded in February.

On Friday, officials outlined what that money will go toward, such as providing new restroom facilities and accessibility upgrades for boardwalk users as well as restoring and renovating Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre.

Boardwalk bipartisanship

On a perfect sunny May morning, Murphy spoke about how important boardwalks are to Jersey culture and the economy – especially on milestone weekends such as this one: the unofficial kickoff to summer at the Jersey Shore. He described the Asbury Park Boardwalk as its wooden main street.

“Boardwalks like this one are the lifeblood of communities up and down the shore. They connect shoppers to the small businesses that make our beach communities so unique. And they bring families and friends together to enjoy the sunshine,” said Murphy. “And that is exactly why we need to keep this vital local infrastructure in good repair. So, these boardwalks can continue serving as the backdrop for summers down the shore in the years – and importantly, decades ahead.”

Murphy said it was for that reason that his administration worked jointly with the Legislature to dedicate $100 million of New Jersey’s ARP funds for this purpose. The Democratic governor stressed the bipartisan nature of the effort.

“It will help ensure that our local businesses in shore communities like Asbury Park can keep thriving, and that families can continue making memories that will last a lifetime,” said Murphy. “And this funding, which was included in our budget for the current fiscal year, could not come a moment too soon. Look no further than the looming threat of climate change, among other things, which poses a distinct and growing risk to communities like Asbury Park.”

A helping hand

“The Boardwalk Preservation Fund is helping our shore communities maintain, repair, and strengthen our boardwalks so they can remain places of joy and inspiration for future generations,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez. “DCA is proud to have awarded the boardwalk grants to municipalities earlier this year, and we look forward to the resiliency, safety, and access improvements that will result from the funding.”

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-6th District, was instrumental in securing the federal funding. He said he is glad to see ARP money used to preserve boardwalks up and down the Jersey Shore.

“Boardwalks create the uniquely quintessential character we associate with summertime and bolster small businesses we love,” said Pallone. “I’m glad that we will be able to revitalize boardwalks for everyone who lives here and all those who visit the Jersey Shore for years to come, and I applaud Gov. Murphy for taking action to support our state’s coastal communities.”

Two prime sponsors of the legislation, Senate Budget Chairman Paul Sarlo, D-36th District, and Sen. Michael Testa, R-1st District, spoke about how critical this fund is. They also stressed the bipartisanship in the legislative process to bring it to fruition.

Sarlo noted that he and Testa sit on the Senate Budget Committee together. He said this idea derived out of discussions during those sessions about how to help the boardwalks.

Common cause

“We started talking about it and, lo and behold, the governor and his team were already talking about it with EDA [New Jersey Economic Development Authority] and his leadership and his folks,” said Sarlo. “And it was a perfect marriage.

“The Executive Branch working in a bipartisan manner with the Legislative – on the Budget Committee – and here we are today,” Sarlo continued. “A significant investment in boardwalks up and down our beautiful coast. There’s not much more to say about it. This is about putting our money into our communities and allowing our local elected officials to run with it – and ensure we get the people up here to enjoy it. So, people can enjoy the beach; enjoy the boardwalk; enjoy the great nightlife at the bars and restaurants. And people continue to invest.”

Summer at the shore inspires mostly sunny economic forecast

A projected 124 million visitors are expected to spend $51.4 billion in 2024. Read more here.

Before he introduced Testa, Murphy stressed again that he could not say enough about the fact that this was a bipartisan effort.

“This is not just one party or one administration or one chamber in the Legislature,” said Murphy. “This is about folks coming together in common cause. And there’s no one who embodies that more than the next speaker.”

“Nothing is more iconic in New Jersey than our boardwalks; our Jersey Shore communities that rely on these boardwalks to be the economic engine for that short period of the year that we get to celebrate the summer,” said Testa. “They need this necessary infrastructure. And the governor mentioned it was bipartisan. Sen. Paul Sarlo mentioned it was bipartisan.”

Critical timing

As Testa referenced the history of Asbury Park Boardwalk and the legacy of Bruce Springsteen, he reflected on those conversations with Sarlo, how they were not aware the governor’s office was having the same ones, and how it all came together.

“What you’re seeing here today, with this $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund, is government working together in the way it’s supposed to work,” said Testa, who ticked off some of the towns that are receiving funding. “This is going to go a long way – and I can tell you this is historical legislation.”

“Memorial Day Weekend at the shore marks the start of summer – a critical time for the local economy in Asbury Park,” said Asbury Park Mayor John Moor. “The Boardwalk Preservation Fund will be transformative for Asbury Park’s boardwalks, which attract thousands of visitors each summer.”

“In closing, let me say simply, the Boardwalk Preservation Fund is so much more than a $100 million investment in the infrastructure of these communities,” said Murphy. “It’s an investment in more summers, more music, and more memories to come.”