In October 2021, Highland Park was selected to participate in the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) through a competitive grant process and is slated to received $125,000/year for five years for improvements to the Woodbridge Avenue District (below). These improvements will focus on making it a more welcoming corridor for residents, businesses, and visitors.

Year Three: 2024

The Year Three Implementation Plan envisions calls for the launch of a residential improvement grant program, continuation of the popular commercial grant program, collaboration with the NJ Business Action Center to provide technical assistance trainings to Woodbridge Ave businesses at no cost, cleaning and improving district amenities and adding new ones. For more information, contact Teri Jover at tjover@hpboro.com or 732-819-3789.

Year Two: 2023

The focus for Year Two is twofold: ramping up outreach efforts while also maintaining our momentum with district beautification and park improvements. The Year Two Implementation Plan delineates the activities of the NPP program and describes the manner in which grant funds will be expended over the following year.

Commercial Grant Program

The Borough currently has four types of grants available through NPP: 

• Facade Rehabilitation Grant: Up to $10,000 per property
• Materials Grant: Up to $1,000 per property
• Technical Assistance Grant: Up to $1,000 per property
• ADA Grant: Up to $1,000 per property

Business and property owners interested in taking advantage of this grant funding may fill out an application and send it to tjover@hpboro.com with supporting documentation. Questions regarding this grant program should be directed to Teri Jover, NPP Coordinator, at tjover@hpboro.com or 732-819-3789.

The Borough and the NPP Stakeholder Committee focused Year One efforts on beautifying Woodbridge Avenue, the commercial corridor and gateway to Highland Park, and laying the planning groundwork for future improvements in the district. Beautification efforts include the installation of string lights and holiday snowflakes on street light poles, which first necessitated the installation of electrical outlets by PSEG, the pruning of street trees, the purchase of benches, trash and recycling receptacles, and bike racks, and the painting of traffic-calming street murals along Benner Street in the district.

Improvements to Molimock-Graff Park, one of two outdoor recreation spaces in the district, included the establishment of electric service to allow for sound at community events, the addition of mulch to playground spaces, and the replacement of an aging fence. The Borough’s engineers also conducted an assessment of Molimock-Graff Park’s current conditions and made recommendations for improvements moving forward.

Implementation Plan

On March 15, 2022, Borough Council approved Highland Park’s 5-year Implementation Plan (IP) which was created based on robust input from residents, business owners, visitors, and other stakeholders. Input was gathered via an online survey and virtual meetings with district businesses and residents.