The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced Monday the awarding of $1.49 million in Main Street New Jersey Transformation Grants to Main Street New Jersey (MSNJ) district organizations across the Garden State.

The funding round marks the sixth-straight year DCA has distributed these grants – awarding nearly $5.5 million in that time.

Established in 1989, the MSNJ program helps municipalities improve the economy, appearance and image of their central business districts, with the grants aimed at financially assisting these efforts.

The grant funding is eligible to use for:

• Storefront and façade improvement projects;
• Streetscaping projects;
• Courtyard and alleyway improvement projects;
• Public art projects;
• Placemaking projects;
• Operational assistance;
• Marketing assistance;
• Reimbursement of the salary of a part-time employee during the grant period;
• Reimbursement of the costs of an audit required by DCA;
• Reimbursement of the costs associated with the purchase of technology or computer hardware needed for implementation of eligible projects or the functioning of the District Management Organization (DMO)

The 2024 MSNJ Transformation Grant recipients include:

• Fair Lawn Economic Development Corp. – $150,000
• Main Street Mount Holly – $150,000
• Vineland Downtown Improvement District/Main Street Vineland – $150,000
• South Orange Village Center Alliance – $110,000
• Montclair Center BID – $150,000
• Downtown West Orange Alliance – $150,000
• Springfield Avenue Partnership – $50,000
• Metuchen Downtown Alliance – $140,000
• Red Bank River Center – $150,000
• Boonton Main Street – $125,000
• Downtown Bernardsville – $150,000
• Summit Downtown Inc. – $15,000

“DCA recognizes how important Main Street New Jersey is to the economic and social health of our communities, which is why we continue to invest significant resources in the program,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn Suarez. “The grant funding will be used for storefront improvements, creative and cultural placemaking, and marketing strategies to take downtowns to the next level. We can’t wait to see how these projects positively impact main street districts around the state.”

“When main streets are healthy, communities are healthy,” said Gina Fischetti, coordinator of MSNJ. “Therefore, we are pleased to provide grants that help communities reshape their main streets into vibrant places that draw people to live, work, and visit.”

More information on the program is available here.