New Brunswick, NJ – New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC), with the East Trenton Collaborative (ETC) members, partners, and supporters, will celebrate the commencement of reconstruction on 615 North Clinton Avenue at a ceremony on Tuesday, May 16th at 10:30 am at the project site.
The ceremony will highlight this key East Trenton redevelopment project, with speakers including Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson, Wells Fargo Regional President of Southern NJ Brenda Ross Dulan, NJM Insurance Group VP of Public Affiars Mike Van Wagner, Trenton North Ward City Councilwoman Marge Caldwell Wilson, and NJCC President Wayne T. Meyer. The event will end with a bus tour of ETC projects.
“NJCC started as a small affordable housing lender focusing on Trenton and Newark communities. Our work with the partners in the East Trenton Collaborative has brought us back to our roots,” said Wayne T. Meyer, NJCC president. “This renovation is an exciting start to the inclusive and transformative projects this neighborhood will see in the coming years.”
“The City of Trenton is proud to partner with the East Trenton Collaborative and New Jersey Community Capital, both on this project and on the broader neighborhood initiative,” said Mayor Jackson. “This building is located in the heart of the community, near where other important investments are taking place. Its revitalization will help create momentum and restore vitality to the area.”
This groundbreaking marks the first Community Asset Preservation Corporation (CAPC) project in the East Trenton neighborhood. CAPC, NJCC’s real estate arm, acquired the long-vacant property in 2016 along with the East Trenton Center, located at 601 North Clinton Avenue, on behalf of the ETC. When completed, 615 North Clinton Avenue will hold three apartments (two one-bedroom and one three-bedroom) and a commercial space for a neighborhood-based entrepreneur or artist.
Renovations to the East Trenton Center include improvements to facilitate community programs and events, and added office space for NJCC and partner staff. Artists from the SAGE Coalition installed the “City of Dreams” mural, landscaping, and the novel fence in the garden between the two buildings.
“I would like to applaud the East Trenton Collaborative for continuing to work in this neighborhood,” said New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Charles A. Richman. “This project will complement revitalization activities that have had a positive impact on the neighborhood and the City of Trenton as a whole, including the creation of the Capital City Urban Farm, energy-efficiency upgrades to residential units, job readiness and employment skills training, after-school programs for young persons, and “clean and green” work to improve the neighborhood’s appearance.”
“All of us who are invested in Trenton’s future want to see this part of the city succeed,” said Ross-Dulan. “Thanks to the tireless dedication of NJCC and the East Trenton Collaborative, we will be able to take several steps forward in creating a community asset, and a space that some Trenton residents will be able to call home. Having the support of the public, private and nonprofit sectors behind this initiative speaks volumes about the impact it will have on East Trenton.”
Wells Fargo, DCA’s Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit program, NJM Insurance Group, and Community Housing Capital provided funding for this project. Trenton-based contractor E&P Resource Group will complete the renovations.
About New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC)
NJCC is a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) that creates thriving communities through strategic investments and knowledge. NJCC invests in affordable housing, community facilities, and economic development ventures that strengthen neighborhoods, improve education, and increase jobs, ultimately providing greater opportunities for community residents. Since inception, NJCC has facilitated the investment of over $570 million into over 800 high-impact projects across the state, supporting the creation and preservation of 13,800 education seats, 9,700 housing units, 6,900 early care slots, and 9,200 jobs. For more information, please visit www.newjerseycommunitycapital.org.
About the East Trenton Collaborative (ETC)
The ETC is an initiative of residents, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders working to reinvigorate and revitalize the East Trenton neighborhood. Coordinated by NJCC, ETC pursues complementary strategies including physical revitalization and beautification, homeownership, small business improvement, community building, workforce development, education, recreation, and human services. For more information, please visit www.east-trenton.org.
About Community Asset Preservation Corporation (CAPC)
CAPC is NJCC’s nonprofit redevelopment arm. CAPC acquires vacant properties and nonperforming mortgages in New Jersey, and partners with local community builders to convert them into affordable housing and other positive community uses. For more information about CAPC, visit www.capcnj.org.
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