Lawrence Gets $65,000 To Upgrade Equipment At Eldridge Park

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Lawrence Township has received $65,000 from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) to make improvements to outdoor space and recreational facilities.

The funds, which come through the Local Recreation Improvement Grants, will be used to upgrade the equipment in Eldridge Park.

In total, NJ gave $25 million in grants to counties, municipalities, and school districts after a competitive application process.

“Ensuring public access to recreational opportunities is imperative for people’s mental and physical health,” Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, DCA Commissioner, said in a statement.

“For this reason, the Local Recreation Improvement Grant program aims to provide grants to communities in need to help them strengthen and improve their recreational spaces and programs.”

Funds will be used to help cover costs associated with updating community centers, playgrounds, pools, fields, walking or bicycle trails, rail trails, multi-sport courts, and recreational facilities. The grants can also be used for project development professional services such as engineering and architectural costs; equipment costs including playgrounds or bleachers for stadiums or community theatres; and environmental remediation costs required to prepare recreation sites for use.

Each grant application was valuated based on distressed community ranking, financial need, project feasibility, local match commitment, and scope of impact. The Local Recreation Improvement Grants are reimbursement based. There is no advance payment or drawdown of grant funds.