NJ Department of Community Affairs

DCA Announces $1.5 Million in Main Street New Jersey Transformation Grants

Posted on: 08/12/2025

Grants Assist with Improvement Projects within Designated Main Street Districts

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced the award of $1.5 million in Main Street New Jersey Transformation Grants to Main Street New Jersey (MSNJ) district organizations across the state. The grants are aimed at improving the appearance, quality of life, and local commerce within MSNJ districts.

“Quality of life is at the heart of these Transformation Grants because they will help communities with improvements to pedestrian plazas, storefront façades, public facilities, and community development planning,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “All these efforts contribute to strong, vibrant neighborhoods and downtowns where people want to work, visit, and put down roots.”

This is the seventh year in a row that DCA has distributed funding to MSNJ districts. In that time, the program has awarded approximately $7 million in grants – including the funding announced today – to MSNJ district organizations.

“People appreciate downtowns that are walkable, unique, and filled with successful retail shops and small businesses,” said Gina Fischetti, coordinator of Main Street New Jersey, which is administered by DCA. “This grant funding is a recognition that thriving main streets are important to communities. We’re happy to be in a position to help strengthen downtown vitality in towns across the state.”

The MSNJ Program helps municipalities improve the economy, appearance, and image of their central business districts through the organization of local citizens and resources. Municipalities must apply and meet the program’s requirements to be selected to join the MSNJ Program, which was established in 1989. These designated communities receive technical support and training from DCA to assist in restoring their main streets as centers of economic and social activity.

The purpose of the MSNJ Transformation Grants is to financially assist efforts aimed at enhancing the appearance, quality of life, and local commerce in designated MSNJ districts. The projects must occur within the boundaries of the designated MSNJ district.

The seven types of projects and activities that were eligible for Transformation Grant funding are as follows:

Storefront and Facade Improvement Projects;
Streetscaping Projects;
Courtyard and Alleyway Improvement Projects;
Public Art Projects;
Placemaking Projects;
Operational Assistance; and
Marketing Assistance.

Additionally, districts were eligible to apply for support to: 1) reimburse the salary of a part-time employee during the grant period, 2) reimburse the costs of an audit required by DCA, and 3) reimburse 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).

A description of the grant recipients and projects are listed below:

2025 Main Street New Jersey Transformation Grant Recipients

Main Street District Organization	County	Project	Amount
Fair Lawn Economic Development Corp.	Bergen	Funding will be used to cover the costs of expanding sanitation and landscaping services to the Radburn commercial corridor.	$30,000
Main Street Mount Holly	Burlington	Funding will be used to cover staff salary.	$30,000
Holly City Development Corporation	Cumberland	Funding will be used to collaborate with a marketing professional to create individualized marketing plans for 10 small businesses within the district and to release a request for proposals (RFP) for regional artists to submit mural designs for a new mural on the Levoy Theater.	$60,000
Bloomfield Center Alliance, Inc.	Essex	Funding will be used for a district parking study, hiring a planning firm to formalize the concept of an arts district, and engaging a marketing firm for district rebranding. Additional uses include purchasing new outdoor holiday decorations, covering outdoor event security costs, replacing trash receptacle liners, improving the district website, and acquiring new tablets/mobile computers.	$150,000
Explore Millburn-Short Hills	Essex	Funds will be used to extend the 2016 “Complete Streets” model to the rest of the district, focusing on pedestrian access, safety, lighting, and beautification. Additional efforts include upgrading brick sidewalks with stone materials, adding plantings, and removing excess signage.	$150,000
South Orange Village Center Alliance	Essex	Funding will be used to replace district trash receptacles with new ones to improve waste management.	$30,000
Springfield Avenue Partnership	Essex	Funding will be used for a one-year Placer.ai subscription and to hire an intern to assist with its management.	$18,500
Main Street Woodbury, Inc.	Gloucester	Funds will be used for staff salary, a façade grant program, and redesigning the website while securing updated software to digitize files and optimize day-to-day operations.	$150,000
Experience Princeton	Mercer	Funds will be used to recruit an economic development specialist to identify key businesses for the district, purchase planters, street furniture, and wayfinding signage, and acquire a new computer and software to manage operations.	$150,000
Metuchen Downtown Alliance	Middlesex	Funding will be used for cobblestone treatment in the alleyway to match other district alleyways and to install a sculpture in the pocket park.	$30,000
Boonton Main Street	Morris	Funds will be used for the renovation of a parking lot, including seating, planters, digital kiosks, and repaving. Additional uses include marketing assistance and covering staff salary.	$30,000
Downtown Denville B.I.D.	Morris	Funds will be used to contract a social media manager, create digital and print promotional materials, purchase a new computer, cover the annual audit, and maintain a Placer.ai subscription.	$67,339
Toms River Business Development Corporation	Ocean	Funds will be used for the purchase and professional installation of a commercial-grade outdoor LED digital message sign for the Downtown Toms River Business Improvement District. The sign will be placed in a high-visibility location to serve as a central hub for public announcements, business promotions, safety alerts, and event updates.	$4,161
Downtown Somerville Alliance	Somerset	Funding will be used to create “Curb Appeal Kits” for businesses to improve their properties, upgrade Giardina Walkway and Division Street pedestrian corridors, and purchase Big Belly trash receptacles.	$150,000
Plainfield Central Business District Management Corporation	Union	Funds will be used for staff salaries, a mural installation, hanging baskets throughout the district, and hiring a marketing firm to support district businesses. Additional uses include sign/façade grants, brackets and banners for the district, a Placer.ai subscription, and a maintenance truck for district operations.	$150,000
Summit Downtown Inc.	Union	Funding will be used for an audit, paving the alleyway, planting and maintaining tree wells, and a Placer.ai subscription. Additional uses include electrical box installation and fencing/shrubbery for the farmer’s market, as well as online software for retail events using “passports”.	$150,000
Downtown Westfield Corporation	Union	Funds will be used to install pole banners, add permanent bistro lighting, purchase holiday décor, and acquire furniture for the pedestrian plaza.	$150,000
		Total	$1,500,000

More information about the MSNJ Program, including the application process, can be found at https://www.nj.gov/dca/dlps/msnj.shtml.

The Division of Local Planning Services works with communities to achieve local land use and planning goals. As part of DCA's commitment to provide technical assistance to municipalities, the Division’s professional planning staff provides comprehensive planning services at no cost to local governments.

DCA offers a wide range of other programs and services, including local government management and finance, fire safety, building safety, disaster recovery and mitigation, local planning services, historic preservation, and information privacy.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: