Ventnor Awarded $7 Million for Boardwalk Reconstruction

By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY

Ventnor City is one of the biggest winners in Gov. Phil Murphy’s $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund competition. He announced Thursday that Ventnor was awarded a $7,110,689 grant to upgrade portions of its boardwalk, which is more than 60 years old.

“This is a huge step forward towards improving and upgrading the structure of our boardwalk,” Mayor Lance Landgraf said in a release. “The city will immediately start the needed engineering to be able to commence construction this fall. I would like to thank Gov. Murphy for his strong support of this initiative.”

Commissioners Tim Kriebel and Maria Mento added the award would not have been possible without the strong support and legislative sponsorship of NJ Sen. Vince Polistina, Assemblyman Don Guardian and Assemblywoman Claire Swift.

“Our boardwalks and beaches generate millions of dollars of revenue and are the lifeblood of Atlantic County,” Polistina said.

The Ventnor Boardwalk was built in 1962 and is entirely constructed with wood that has deteriorated over time. Some of the pilings are hourglass-shaped and some of the joists have split due to years of use and the weight of vehicle traffic.

“So many of us have created memories with family and friends at the boardwalks of the Jersey shore,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement Thursday evening. “Our boardwalks have long been a prized destination, and we want to keep them that way by helping shore communities repair and maintain these wooden main streets. We look forward to all the vital projects that will result from our Boardwalk Preservation Fund investments. These grant awards are a meaningful step in preserving the health and dynamism of these special places.”

Ventnor’s project includes total demolition of sections of the existing boardwalk and foundation pile and installation of new treated timber piles spaced at 12 feet, slightly closer than the existing spacing of 14 feet, to provide additional strength and a longer lasting product. ADA-compliant ramps will be installed at locations where needed. The grant requires that the boardwalk reconstruction be completed by the end of 2026.

Competition was significant since there were dozens of applications requesting hundreds of millions of dollars. The cost to totally replace Ventnor’s boardwalk is estimated to be $26 million. Ventnor plans to apply for other state and federal grants to complete the reconstruction project.

Grant consultant Jim Rutala of Rutala Associates prepared the grant application on behalf of the city.

Atlantic City was another big winner in the grant competition. It was awarded $20 million to fund replacement of sections of the “World Famous Atlantic City Boardwalk.”

The Boardwalk Preservation Fund was made possible through federal funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which have been dedicated by the governor and state Legislature for an array of economic recovery and revitalization projects across New Jersey.

Eligible projects had to meet at least one of the following criteria: Construction that adds new boardwalk components, boardwalk maintenance, boardwalk reconstruction, or repair of ancillary or related structures.

Examples of projects include replacement of old and crumbling decking along the boardwalk with resilient, longer-lasting materials; replacement of deteriorating pilings and boardwalk infrastructure; improving access and safety by building ADA compliant ramps and railings; expanding an existing section of the boardwalk; and providing grant funds to businesses that need to complete upgrades to align with the proposed boardwalk construction, the release said.

The following are the Boardwalk Preservation Fund grant recipients: