Carteret, NJ – Mayor Reiman and Freeholder Ron Rios have announced that the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders has awarded Carteret $1 million for the construction of a pier extension at Carteret Waterfront Park. The funds have been earmarked via the Middlesex County Open Space fund, and will allow for the extension of the existing Veteran’s Memorial Fishing Pier.
The project will allow for a 690 ft. addition that will extend southwards along the Arthur Kill. The addition will accommodate a variety of recreational uses by residents and visitors that include fishing, walking, and bird watching amongst others. The extension will preserve many of the aesthetic features of the existing pier, according to Mayor Reiman, and serve as a buffer against wave cycles and currents. The pier addition will also serve as a breakwater, separating the Arthur kill from the boroughs future marina.
The 17.1 acre Waterfront Park and Veteran’s Memorial Fishing Pier have become regional attractions, and host local events that include the town’s Independence Day celebration, Concerts by the Bay series, and an annual fishing derby. According to Mayor Reiman, the park is the epicenter of other pending improvements along the Borough’s waterfront.
Last year, Carteret’s waterfront was made a Brownfields Designated Area by the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection., qualifying it for up to $25 million in remediation funding, which will allow the Borough to proceed with other large-scale improvements to the Waterfront such as the Marina and ferry terminal.
“The B.D.A. designation turned the key for a number of projects that will have a significant impact on that area,” Mayor Reiman stated. “Our pending marina, ferry terminal, and mixed-use transit village will transform these properties, which until not so long ago were left dormant. The pier extension project is a prelude to the marina and a number of other improvements, and will expand what has already become an immensely popular destination.”
The pier extension is estimated to cost $2.75 million and the borough has previously received a Green Acres grant of $1.4 million from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
“With the current state funding and the addition of the county grant we are now 90% funded towards the pier extension” said Mayor Reiman. “I applaud the county freeholders for their support of this project and for recognizing the vast potential of the Carteret Waterfront.”
“At the county level, we recognize the value of such parks and projects to the entire community,” Freeholder Rios stated. “Mayor Reiman’s administration has demonstrated a very clear commitment to providing quality recreational resources to the community, and the potential of Waterfront Park cannot be underestimated. We’re very happy to be a part of the inevitable success and benefits of the continuing expansion of Carteret’s Waterfront area.”
Construction plans and permits have been submitted to the NJDEP and US Army Corp of Engineers, and constructions is anticipated to begin the end of 2010.
