Congressman Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) today announced that more than $450,000 in federal aid is heading to Trenton to provide additional support to a critical project needed to remediate a region along the Assunpink Creek that was severely affected by Hurricane Floyd.

    The $454,055 grant from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration increases the total federal financial commitment to the region to just under $5 million.

    “I am pleased that the federal Department of Commerce continues to fund these important projects that will help business owners recoup damages suffered from Hurricane Floyd and also rebuild the region in a way that helps better protect it from flooding,” Smith said.

    “This federal/county/city partnership will significantly improve the quality of life for residents and business owners in the North Ward and entire city of Trenton,” he added.

    Smith said the EDA grant should pay for more than half of the cost associated with environmental remediation of the Enterprise Avenue Industrial Park.  Businesses in the flood-prone area will be relocated to safer regions of the city, and an 11 acre replacement industrial park will be built. The grant is expected to help cover costs associated with providing roads, water, and sewerage hookups to the new industrial park.

    When completed, the city will have five new industrial lots along Enterprise Avenue and a 2 acre-long greenway along the Assunpink Creek, which will create a buffer zone to guard against flooding.

    “Once completed, businesses will be relocated to an area not prone to flooding and the residents of the neighborhood will gain a new park, creating a win-win project,” Smith said.

    The Department of Commerce estimates that the new development will create about 70 new jobs and generate about $4 million in private investment once the industrial park is up and running.  In addition to the substantial federal EDA commitment to the project, the state, Mercer County, and city of Trenton have all dedicated financial resources as well.

    Smith has worked to solve the region’s flooding problems even before Hurricane Floyd struck in September 1999.  In July 1996, he held a meeting in Hamilton with several state and regional officials to work to address flooding in Trenton and the greater-Trenton community.

    And it was Smith who pushed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to increase the amount of money they were offering residents to buy out their homes so the flood-prone region could be converted into a park.