FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 26, 2016

 


Grants Totaling $985,000 Will Help Fund Programs Associated with Revitalizing the Center City Neighborhood of Millville

TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Charles A. Richman today announced a $985,000 grant award through the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) program to Holly City Development Corp. located in Millville. The NRTC program is administered by the DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources and provides community based non-profit groups with funding provided by corporate contributions intended for neighborhood revitalization projects.  Since the creation of the NRTC program, 34 corporations have contributed $88,081,000 to fund 29 neighborhood revitalization plans in 15 urban municipalities throughout the state.

“The NRTC program has seen more demand as the program has matured and become more competitive over the years,” said Commissioner Richman. “We’ve fully allocated $10 million in tax credits every year since 2010 and over the last five years seen a significant increase in the number of contributing corporations. Through NRTC, we will continue to support nonprofits and the increased need for economic development resources, including entrepreneur training and employment placement assistance.”

Holly City Development Corporation was awarded $985,000 for numerous activities throughout the community.

  • An existing building will be renovated to create one residential unit, four commercial studio spaces and a common area for use as a high-tech creative enterprise center.
  • Down payment and closing cost assistance (up to $10K) will be provided to attract new homebuyers to purchase.
  • Small grants (up to $10K) will be provided for non-traditional capital projects with a community-wide benefit.
  • Center City community activities will be offered including, but not limited to neighborhood meetings, annual neighborhood summit, annual 10 week summer camp, annual Back-to-school fair, annual health/nutrition fair, annual neighborhood cleanups, fitness programming and educational programming.
  • A Mural Arts Project will be implemented where a professional muralist will design and install a mural on a major street leading into the neighborhood. Two additional murals will also be installed by local artists within the neighborhood.
  • Police Department staff will be trained in environmental design assessment and mitigation techniques aimed at reducing crime.

Funds were contributed by South Jersey Gas.  Corporations that fund the program receive a 100 percent tax credit against various state taxes for their investments in revitalizing low-and moderate-income neighborhoods in eligible cities.

The nonprofit organizations agree to allot at least 60 percent of the funds to housing and/or economic development activities.  The remainder may be used for complementary activities such as supportive services, improvements to streetscape and public open space, and community outreach activities. 

Other communities that have benefited from the NRTC program this year include Jersey City, Newark, Orange, Asbury Park, Trenton, Camden, Paterson, Salem, Elizabeth and New Brunswick.

NRTC has approved 113 grants to date to implement these neighborhood plans totaling $88 million in funding.

Holly City Development Corporation is a direct subsidiary of the Millville Housing Authority, which facilitates the development of affordable housing and other community projects. Holly City Development Corp has had an approved NRTC plan since 2013, for the Center City neighborhood of Millville. Additional information on Holly City Development Corporation can be found at http://www.hollycitydevelopment.org/.

More information on the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit program, visit http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/nrtc.html.

CONTACT:
Tammori Petty
Emike Omogbai
(609) 292-6055