CAPE MAY – The City of Cape May has been awarded a Neighborhood Preservation Program grant, allowing the city to continue to improve the quality of life for its residents with their revitalization efforts.
According to a municipal release, the grant funding is part of a larger effort by the Murphy administration to commit more resources to community revitalization programs that focus on neighborhood improvement projects. The Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) provides direct financial and technical assistance to municipalities through local planning, community participation, and local investment.
The city was initially awarded $125,000, but was granted an additional $100,000 thanks to the Harriet Tubman Museum, Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) Project, and Franklin Street School Project.
In addition to the NPP grant, the city recently received funds from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. Local promoter Bob Rose, owner of Rose Relations, brought the grant to the attention of Convention Hall Director Kacie Rattigan, knowing the financial stress the city, like many others, was experiencing due to Covid. Cape May Convention Hall was forced to close for a year due to the pandemic, causing a significant loss in revenue due to missed event opportunities while still attempting to maintain the building.
With the help of Cape May City’s chief executive officer, Neil Young, Rattigan was able to submit the necessary information for the application and successfully acquire $176,703.66 to assist Convention Hall with the harm caused by Covid. In addition to the original grant, the city is eligible for an SVOG Supplemental Award, which City Council authorized to apply at Sept. 21’s meeting. Rattigan and Young submitted the requested information for the supplemental award Sept. 22.
The City of Cape May was also awarded $29,000 from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, which will cover engineering costs associated with the feasibility study. This is the next step in the progression of bringing the needs identified from the water system’s master plan to life.
