Gov. Phil Murphy kicked off the summer season at the Jersey Shore, unveiling details on his plan to renovate boardwalks in communities from Long Branch to Cape May.
“We’re going to rebuild crumbling boardwalk infrastructure, remove blight along the shoreline, and invest in making our boardwalks more accessible,” Murphy said during an event on the Asbury Park boardwalk.
Murphy is spending $100 million the state received from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the federal funding bill signed in 2021 to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. He stood in front of the historic Convention Hall in Asbury Park on Friday to talk about the boardwalk program and draw attention to the importance of tourism at the shore to the state’s economy.
“This boardwalk is the foundation that ensures Asbury Park’s culture and economy and it can remain as vibrant as ever,” Murphy said. “And with vibrance comes visitors.”
The tourism industry at the Jersey Shore generates $35 billion for the state’s economy. The Murphy Administration is also working to boost tourism with its North to Shore music festival, a summer series that includes performances in Asbury Park and Atlantic City. This year’s lineup includes performances by Bare Naked Ladies, the B-52s, Lake Street Dive and Kevin Hart.
In Asbury Park, as part of the boardwalk program, the state is also renovating the Convention Hall and Paramount Theater, as well as adding two new public bathrooms. “Because an increase in foot traffic should not lead to longer lines,” Murphy said.
The next town to the south, Ocean Grove, will also get a boost this summer because it will allow its beach to be open on Sundays for the first time in 155 years. Ocean Grove was built in 1869 by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, a Methodist group.
The religious organization is in the midst of a court battle over the closure, and announced earlier this week it would allow Sunday hours while it continues to fight the case in court.
Nancy Solomon
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