U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today hailed House passage of the bipartisan omnibus government operations package that includes $11,270,688 for projects Pascrell had championed in Congress. In sum, the omnibus contains $8,914,688 in funding for all ten community projects Pascrell had pursued for North Jersey, as well as several $2,356,000 for earmarks in Paterson, Passaic City, and Prospect Park.

“This omnibus government funding bill is one of the most forward-looking actions Congress has taken in many years,” said Rep. Pascrell. “The federal funds we secured are a collective reinvestment directly into our vibrant North Jersey communities. These projects run the full gamut: encompassing improvements to parks and joint spaces, public health facilities and doctor training, outdoor ecosystems and environment protection, sewer repair, and road-building. Countless lives will be bettered by these projects. This, today, is the essence and very purpose of government: to better the daily lives of our neighbors in ways big and small.”

List of projects for the Ninth Congressional District included in the government omnibus package:

West Grantwood Park Rehabilitation

Amount: $250,000

Recipient: Borough of Cliffside Park

Details: The funding would be used to complete this project and allow the Borough to achieve its goal of providing a high-quality, recreational facility to service the needs of a growing population within the Borough.

Borough of Fort Lee’s Streetscape Project

Amount: $250,000

Recipient: Borough of Fort Lee

Details: This funding would be used to complete the Borough of Fort Lee’s intersection of Abbott Boulevard and Columbia Avenue streetscape project. This funding will be dispersed to cover construction costs, which include the following: re-designed roadways, curbing, period specific lighting, signage, benches, trash receptacles, cashless parking stations, sidewalks, and applicable murals that display historic scenes of Fort Lee.

Borough of Leonia’s Strengthening Public Safety Communications Project

Amount: $250,000

Recipient: Borough of Leonia

Details: This funding will enable the Borough of Leonia to purchase radio and communications technology necessary for the establishment of a unified public safety communications center. Completing this project will allow for the expansion of public safety services, significantly increase interoperability between local and regional public safety departments, and build upon the Borough of Leonia’s relationships with mutual aid partners. This project will improve the public health and safety conditions of the region as well as benefit traditionally underserved populations within the community. As such, this project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds.

Wrigley Park Rehabilitation

Amount: $360,000

Recipient: City of Paterson

Details: The funding would be used to rehabilitate and improve the functionality of this community space.

Garfield Wellness Center

Amount: $1,500,000

Recipient: Greater Bergen County Action, Inc., Garfield, NJ 07026

Details: If there has been one takeaway from the past year, it is that the need for more robust community health resources, particularly in disenfranchised communities, should not be considered a luxury, but a given. Taxpayers will be making an impact investment in this project – enabling the creation of a tangible space where residents from all walks of life will be able to improve themselves through healthier lifestyles. In particular, low-income, uninsured residents will have a place to turn for free, high-quality healthcare.

Equipment for the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine

Amount: $775,000

Recipient: Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine, Clifton, NJ

Details: Northern New Jersey is a medically underserved area that has a need for more trained medical professionals. Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine is teaching the next generation of diverse medical professionals who will go on to serve northern New Jersey. The School of Medicine is growing rapidly and requires up to date medical training equipment similar to the equipment graduates will be using day to day in their practices. This project is an investment in the health and wellbeing of the citizens of New Jersey and will allow the School of Medicine to continue growing to serve the needs of the community.

Northern New Jersey Post-Pandemic Employment and Skills Training Initiative

Amount: $1,936,006

Recipient: Passaic County Community College

Details: The project will help low-income and minority residents secure high-skill, high-wage employment in emerging industry sectors. By connecting low-income adults to good jobs, the project will help local residents become economically self-sufficient while improving the overall quality of life for local communities.

St. Joseph’s Health Mental Health Designated Screening Center Expansion and Renovation project

Amount: $2,000,000

Recipient: Saint Joseph’s Health

Details: The need for mental health services in Passaic County continues to grow during the public health crisis and this grant will allow Saint Joseph’s Health to reach more residents, including the most vulnerable, during these challenging times. The addition of three new rooms will allow Saint Joseph’s Health to provide better care, assessment and treatment to an estimated 1200 additional patients annually. It will also lead to better outcomes since the additional space will allow for enhanced family engagement, and a more integrated approach to patient care.

Saddle Brook Sewage Rehabilitation and Improvements Project

Amount: $1,393,682

Recipient: Township of Saddle Brook

Details: The funding would be used to provide required maintenance, repairs, and replacements for sewage pumping stations and a gravity sewer interceptor system owned and operated by the Township.

Hudson Raritan Estuary (HRE) - Hackensack Meadowlands, NJ Ecosystem Restoration Project

Amount: $1,200,000

Recipient: United States Army Corps of Engineers, New York District

Details: The funding would be used for Hudson Raritan Estuary Ecosystem Restoration, NY and NJ, which includes Meadowlands and Lower Passaic River; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Borough of Prospect Park, Main Sewer Line Repair Project

Amount: $223,000

Recipient: Borough of Prospect Park

Details: Funding from the EPA State and Tribal Assistance Grant Program to fund clean water project in Prospect Park.

4Cs of Passaic County, New Jersey to improve access early education

Amount: $250,000

Recipient: 4Cs of Passaic County

Details: Department of Education Elementary & Secondary Education grant to organization dedicated to assisting families in obtaining high quality child care that is available, accessible, and affordable.

Greenway Project in City of Passaic, NJ

Amount: $883,000

Recipient: City of Passaic, New Jersey

Details: Funding is expected to help convert a decommissioned and obsolete railroad corridor into a pedestrian greenway that will create transportation alternatives for residents and visitors.

Juvenile Justice Mentorship Program Expansion in Secaucus, NJ

Amount: $340,000

Recipient: Hudson Partnership Care Management Organization

Details: Funding will help hire credible messenger mentors to provide juvenile justice involved youth with support and guidance to complete their high school diploma, vocational training, obtain employment, and avoid the school to prison pipeline.