April
2002
Trenton:
Making a Capital Comeback
By
Leah Yasenchak and Renee P. Killian
Part
2 of 2
Every
day it seems that more changes are coming to Trenton and allowing
the city to reclaim its place among New Jersey's great cities.
The
Trenton "Triangle of Opportunity"-the area between Waterfront
Park, Sovereign Bank Arena and the newly opened Lafayette Yard
Marriott Conference Hotel-will be further enhanced with the development
of New Jersey Transit's state-of-the-art light rail system between
Trenton and Camden. In concert with the new light-rail line, Trenton
lobbied hard to get federal funding for another N.J. Transit project
that will greatly affect the city's economic growth: a $30 million
rehabilitation of the Trenton Rail Station.
"The Trenton Train Station is the sixth busiest in the northeast
corridor, and the renovation will transform it from a lackluster
building to a bustling intermodal transportation hub, combining
train, bus, trolley and taxi service, in addition to a variety
of commercial enterprises," said Mayor Doug Palmer.
Most redevelopment projects in Trenton, like the new hotel, would
not be possible without Trenton's excellent program of reclaiming
environmentally contaminated industrial properties. Known as brownfields,
nearly every project in the city requires some level of environmental
investigation before redevelopment can occur.
"I have worked to develop an internationally recognized program
to aggressively address these environmental issues," said
Mayor Palmer. The city's efforts have been recognized by the state's
Environmental Excellence Award for Safe and Healthy Communities,
as well as the prestigious Phoenix Award, a national brownfield
award.
Creating destinations and employment opportunities is critical
to the rebirth of a city. However, Trenton has not overlooked
its most important resource: its people.
"Nothing is more important than providing working families
with quality, affordable housing," added Mayor Palmer. Since
he became mayor, more than 1,000 units of affordable housing for
working families have been constructed in Trenton, helping to
turn once blighted neighborhoods into thriving communities, many
with open spaces, on-site parking and other neighborhood amenities.
A $15 million Homeownership Designation by the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development is helping to create beautiful,
thriving community in one of the city's most historic and neighborhoods
- the Battle Monument area. The site of one of the most significant
battles of the American Revolution, as well as the epicenter of
the 1968 Trenton riot, the Battle Monument area had become symbolic
of urban decay and suburban flight. The area has been revitalized
with more than 200 new affordable homes; supporting community
facilities and open space are to come.
According to Mayor Palmer and his administration, improving the
quality of life in Trenton is paramount. While commercial, industrial,
and residential development is critical, providing open space
and recreational opportunities are equally important in transforming
Trenton into a city that attracts new people and businesses. To
that end, Trenton is in the early phases of transforming a blighted
industrial floodplain along the Assunpink Creek into a 99-acre
linear park with significant recreational amenities. This major
new park will provide access to the creek, while cleaning up 21
brownfield sites, removing a flood hazard, and providing a pedestrian
and bicycle link to the train station and downtown district. A
number of federal, state, county and local partnerships have been
developed to make this project possible, including the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, Mercer County Soil Conservation
District, Mercer County, and other agencies.
Despite the new development occurring in Trenton, the capital
city remains at its core a historic town, with beautiful old buildings
and important cultural attractions. For that reason, the mayor
says that developing a plan for Heritage Tourism is high on his
administration's list of priorities.
"Our history and culture are important pieces in the full-scale
redevelopment of our city," said Mayor Palmer.
Recently the War Memorial was completely renovated, as was Battle
Monument Park. The Old Barracks remain a favorite attraction,
as does historic Cadwalder Park.
According to Mayor Palmer, his administration, along with county
and state officials, is working with heritage-tourism experts
to develop a plan that will help market Trenton as a heritage-
tourism destination. The city is also working to restore a number
of other significant attractions, including a historic African-American
cemetery and the Trent House.
Trenton has become a city that is making its comeback with growing
business and entertainment districts, thriving neighborhoods with
beautiful housing and a great will and potential to do even more.
But the rebirth of this capital city is proving to be like any
other birth - long, painful and difficult, with a requirement
for partners. As illustrated, Trenton is a city that is willing
to bear the pain, stay the long course and work hard to develop
the partners it needs to be a new capital city shining on a hill.
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