Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has awarded the City of Bayonne a recreation improvement grant of $100,000.  Mayor Davis said, “The City of Bayonne would like to thank Governor Murphy, Lt. Governor Oliver, and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for this generous grant.  The funding will be used to upgrade the DiDomenico Municipal Pool facility.”

The pool is located on West 16^th Street between Avenue A and Newark Bay in DiDomenico-16^th Street Park.  The original version of the facility was constructed in 1956 under the leadership of former Mayor G. Thomas DiDomenico, after whom the pool and the surrounding park are named.

          The grant to Bayonne, one of 162 announced by the Department of Community Affairs, is a Local Recreation Improvement Grant.  Counties, municipalities, and school districts were all eligible to apply for these grants, which are competitive.  DCA awarded a total of $10 million of funding in this round of grants.  Parks, recreation centers, and stadiums are among the facilities that will benefit across New Jersey. 

Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner, said, “DCA is proud to assist local governments in repairing and upgrading their parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities into spaces that promote people’s physical and mental well-being.”  Lt. Oliver continued, “A big part of what makes a community healthy and vibrant is giving residents the opportunity to take a walk, play a game, and participate in sports and other activities with friends and neighbors in a safe and accessible place.”

Jacquelyn Suarez, the Director of the New Jersey Division of Local Services, said, “The Division of local Government Services developed this program, in part, to provide quality outdoor recreational space for the residents of underserved communities.”  She continued, “This need has been especially heightened over the last couple of years as people searched for outdoor spaces to help alleviate the significant stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic.”