The City of Trenton has received more than $7.5 million in state funding to demolish or stabilize city-owned vacant and abandoned properties, while a separate $100,000 grant from Comcast of Mercer County will be used to upgrade internet service and computer equipment at five municipal recreation centers.
The $7,590,358 grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs will support work by the city Department of Housing and Economic Development on properties considered unsafe or unhealthy for nearby residents, according to the city.
City Council authorized the department to apply for and accept the funding when it approved a resolution in April. The grant agreement was formally accepted Monday, July 6.
Under the agreement, Trenton will submit reimbursement requests to the state as demolition and stabilization projects are completed.
The city has already used the program for demolition work at 13-17 Hampton Ave. and 670 S. Clinton Ave.
Trenton submitted a reimbursement request for the two projects Wednesday, July 22, and the Department of Community Affairs approved it Tuesday, July 28. The city received $708,192 on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to reimburse the cost of the work.
“Thanks to the work of our Department of Housing & Economic Development under Interim Director Yolanda Vasquez, and its partnership with the Department of Community Affairs, hazardous properties throughout the City are being taken down, enabling new constructions & creating a healthier environment for our residents,” Mayor W. Reed Gusciora said. “These first projects are just the start of what this funding has made possible for our City.”
The city also will use a $100,000 grant from Comcast of Mercer County to modernize networks and purchase new computer hardware at the Sam Naples Community Center, Ike Williams Recreation Center, West Ward Recreation Center, North Clinton Recreation Center and East Trenton Community Center.
City officials said the improvements are intended to provide faster, more reliable internet access and expanded technology resources for children and adults. The recreation centers host after-school programs and are expected to offer additional digital literacy initiatives after the upgrades are completed.
“Our recreation centers are the backbone of our neighborhoods, providing safe havens and essential services for our youth and our seniors,” Gusciora said. “This $100,000 capital grant from Comcast will allow us to bring 21st-century technology right into the heart of our communities, ensuring that every resident has the tools and connectivity they need to succeed in today’s digital world. We are incredibly grateful for this partnership.”
The grant was included in the city’s renewed franchise agreement with Comcast of Mercer County, which the Trenton City Council approved Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, through Ordinance 25-003.
It is the second public-private partnership grant secured this year by the city’s Department of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture.
The department previously received a $100,000 grant from Bristol Myers Squibb to build a soccer mini-pitch at Cadwalader Park. The pitch was unveiled Saturday, June 20.
The Recreation Department will oversee the technology project and work to minimize disruptions to programs at the centers during installation.
“This investment is a game-changer for our daily operations and for the families who rely on our centers,” said Paul Harris, interim director of the Department of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture. “By upgrading both the hardware and the network backbones at all five of our locations, we are expanding our capacity to offer digital skills training and robust educational support. It elevates the standard of excellence we aim to deliver to the people of Trenton every single day.”
Installation of the network equipment and computer hardware is expected to begin in the coming months. City officials said all five recreation centers are expected to have the upgraded systems by the end of the year.
