State funds are aimed at opening doors at Hackensack Water Works....
12 years 7 months ago #1
by shadowbat
www.northjersey.com/community/128262578_...ack_Water_Works.html
State funds are aimed at opening doors at Hackensack Water Works
Legislation signed by Governor Christie last week will dedicate more than $10 million for preservation grants to protect 58 historic sites across the state, including the Hackensack Water Works, located in the Hackensack River between Oradell and New Milford.
State funds will be used to stabilize the Hackensack Water Works building, the governor's office announced last week.
The Hackensack Water Works, which sits on the 13-acre, man-made Van Buskirk Island, will receive $704,384 from the state.
The money will be used largely toward the stabilization of the building, to ensure it is safe for the public to visit, said Oradell Councilwoman Donna Alonso.
"They decided if they wanted to open it to the public for a walking path, they would have to stabilize the smoke stacks first," she explained.
The Water Works were begun in 1886, built by the Hackensack Water Company (now known as United Water). At the time, it was a massive, state-of-the-art water treatment and distribution facility, expanded through 1912 and updated through 1955, providing water to communities in northern New Jersey.
The complex houses original equipment from the Water Works, chronicling the engineering technology of water purification from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The two main buildings, the water treatment building and the pump house that are in deteriorated condition, have been closed since 1980.
The island was created from an original peninsula formation in the middle of the Hackensack River and was designed to enable the flow of water into the facility. The pumping station dates back to 1882 and supplied water to Hackensack and the surrounding areas until operations ceased in 1990. In 1993, the land was transferred to Bergen County. The buildings are listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places but have sat vacant since the plant closed.
The grant will help fund the continued stabilization of the two structures, according to a press release from the governor's office. The plans call for making the buildings weather tight and providing protection from vandalism, including roofing repairs, roof drainage repairs, window and door protection; providing adequate ventilation into the buildings; and removing water from the buildings. Completion of Phase I and 2 stabilization will allow the public to walk around the buildings safely.
The grant is a Level II Capital Preservation Grant, which must be used for the restoration and rehabilitation of historic resources for new or continued active use. Properties receiving these grants are required to be listed or eligible for listing in the State or National Register of Historic Places.
The governor signed the legislation in Mount Laurel at Paulsdale, the residence of Alice Paul, a New Jersey suffragette. The home is on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places and is a designated National Historic Landmark.
"From the Revolutionary War and the Underground Railroad to Thomas Edison and Alice Paul, New Jersey has been the nucleus of many of our nation's most significant historical events," Christie said in a press release. "Preserving these cultural and historic sites is critical to ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to learn more about New Jersey's place in history. I am proud to sign this legislation to help the New Jersey Historic Trust rehabilitate these wonderful places, which ultimately will attract tourism, spur neighborhood revitalization and encourage economic growth in our state."
The New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), will award and administer the grants.
In a statement, DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa explained the benefit of preserving sites such as the Water Works.
"Historic places enhance New Jersey's image as a vacation destination. These sites tap into people's desire to learn something new and they capitalize on the trend of people taking trips closer to home," she said. "Historic attractions also often bring developers to the area, which can lead to new economic opportunities."
This year's grant recipients were previously approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust Board of Trustees and the Garden State Preservation Trust. Funding for the grants comes from the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund, which was created to preserve open space, farmland and historic sites and to encourage joint preservation efforts by the public and private sectors. In 2007 and in 2009, voters approved referendums to provide additional money to the Trust Fund. Overall, the Historic Trust has awarded more than $135 million in 697 matching grants since 1990.
Established in 1967, the New Jersey Historic Trust is the only non-profit historic preservation organization in New Jersey created by state law. The trust's mission is to advance historic preservation in New Jersey for the benefit of future generations through education, stewardship and financial investment programs that save New Jersey heritage and strengthen the state's communities.
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State funds are aimed at opening doors at Hackensack Water Works
Legislation signed by Governor Christie last week will dedicate more than $10 million for preservation grants to protect 58 historic sites across the state, including the Hackensack Water Works, located in the Hackensack River between Oradell and New Milford.
State funds will be used to stabilize the Hackensack Water Works building, the governor's office announced last week.
The Hackensack Water Works, which sits on the 13-acre, man-made Van Buskirk Island, will receive $704,384 from the state.
The money will be used largely toward the stabilization of the building, to ensure it is safe for the public to visit, said Oradell Councilwoman Donna Alonso.
"They decided if they wanted to open it to the public for a walking path, they would have to stabilize the smoke stacks first," she explained.
The Water Works were begun in 1886, built by the Hackensack Water Company (now known as United Water). At the time, it was a massive, state-of-the-art water treatment and distribution facility, expanded through 1912 and updated through 1955, providing water to communities in northern New Jersey.
The complex houses original equipment from the Water Works, chronicling the engineering technology of water purification from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The two main buildings, the water treatment building and the pump house that are in deteriorated condition, have been closed since 1980.
The island was created from an original peninsula formation in the middle of the Hackensack River and was designed to enable the flow of water into the facility. The pumping station dates back to 1882 and supplied water to Hackensack and the surrounding areas until operations ceased in 1990. In 1993, the land was transferred to Bergen County. The buildings are listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places but have sat vacant since the plant closed.
The grant will help fund the continued stabilization of the two structures, according to a press release from the governor's office. The plans call for making the buildings weather tight and providing protection from vandalism, including roofing repairs, roof drainage repairs, window and door protection; providing adequate ventilation into the buildings; and removing water from the buildings. Completion of Phase I and 2 stabilization will allow the public to walk around the buildings safely.
The grant is a Level II Capital Preservation Grant, which must be used for the restoration and rehabilitation of historic resources for new or continued active use. Properties receiving these grants are required to be listed or eligible for listing in the State or National Register of Historic Places.
The governor signed the legislation in Mount Laurel at Paulsdale, the residence of Alice Paul, a New Jersey suffragette. The home is on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places and is a designated National Historic Landmark.
"From the Revolutionary War and the Underground Railroad to Thomas Edison and Alice Paul, New Jersey has been the nucleus of many of our nation's most significant historical events," Christie said in a press release. "Preserving these cultural and historic sites is critical to ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to learn more about New Jersey's place in history. I am proud to sign this legislation to help the New Jersey Historic Trust rehabilitate these wonderful places, which ultimately will attract tourism, spur neighborhood revitalization and encourage economic growth in our state."
The New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), will award and administer the grants.
In a statement, DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa explained the benefit of preserving sites such as the Water Works.
"Historic places enhance New Jersey's image as a vacation destination. These sites tap into people's desire to learn something new and they capitalize on the trend of people taking trips closer to home," she said. "Historic attractions also often bring developers to the area, which can lead to new economic opportunities."
This year's grant recipients were previously approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust Board of Trustees and the Garden State Preservation Trust. Funding for the grants comes from the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund, which was created to preserve open space, farmland and historic sites and to encourage joint preservation efforts by the public and private sectors. In 2007 and in 2009, voters approved referendums to provide additional money to the Trust Fund. Overall, the Historic Trust has awarded more than $135 million in 697 matching grants since 1990.
Established in 1967, the New Jersey Historic Trust is the only non-profit historic preservation organization in New Jersey created by state law. The trust's mission is to advance historic preservation in New Jersey for the benefit of future generations through education, stewardship and financial investment programs that save New Jersey heritage and strengthen the state's communities.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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