Photo Credit: Elorm Ocansey
Whitesboro, NJ— The Whitesboro Historical Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the rich history of the Whitesboro community, has been awarded a $50,000 planning grant through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) program. This grant will support the development of a comprehensive Neighborhood Plan for Whitesboro, marking a significant step toward the revitalization of the historic community.
The grant will also support the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project, an initiative led by the Whitesboro Historical Foundation and its community partners to engage residents, businesses, and local organizations in shaping the future of their community. The project aims to gather input from all Whitesboro stakeholders to develop a plan that promotes sustainable growth while preserving the town’s historical and cultural
heritage.
“We are honored and excited to receive this grant, which will enable us to take meaningful steps toward preserving and revitalizing Whitesboro,
” said Mrs. Shirley Green, Founder and Executive Director of the Whitesboro Historical Foundation.
“This community has a deep and vibrant history, and we look forward to working hand-in-hand with residents and local leaders to create a plan that reflects the aspirations of everyone who calls Whitesboro home.”
The Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project will host monthly community meetings on the third Friday of each month at the Historic Whitesboro Grammar School, located at 100 E Main St. Whitesboro, New Jersey. All residents, businesses, and community organizations are encouraged to participate. These meetings will provide an open
forum for stakeholders to share their ideas and visions for the future of Whitesboro, ensuring that the revitalization plan is truly community-driven.
Supporting partners of the project also expressed their enthusiasm for the opportunity to collaborate and create a neighborhood plan with the community.
“This neighborhood plan is a vision for the future of Whitesboro. It will ensure that generations to come and grassroots families have legacies to preserve while being proud of the path that their ancestors paved for them to be who they are and where
they are. I’m honored to be an essential asset to this historical action, and I look forward to this plan being a reality,” said Ms. Arlayne Robinson, Founder of Black Kulture Incorporated.
Ms. Felicia Simmons, a statewide community advocate and consultant involved in the project, added, “We have an opportunity to help bring Whitesboro’s founders dreams to reality. One hundred and twenty years later we’re picking up on our responsibility to build something great for the community and generations to come.
Mr. Bobby Harrison, Founder of Green Forrest Alkaline Water added, “I would love to have our own stores, a laundromat, more affordable homes, streetlights, better roads, schools, banks, restaurants, motels, jobs, a safe neighborhood for everyone, a fire department, fresh vegetables, a recreation center, mail carrier, gas station, and a police department with a civilian oversight program.”
Minister Elorm Ocansey, another statewide community advocate and consultant involved in the project, stated,” This is a chance for all of Whitesboro to come together and build a future that honors the past while looking ahead to the future. The work we do here will leave a lasting legacy.”
The NRTC program, administered by the NJDCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources, is designed to spur the renewal of distressed neighborhoods through strategies developed by residents and community-based nonprofit organizations. The program encourages public-private partnerships by offering corporations tax credits in exchange for contributions to neighborhood revitalization efforts.
The late Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver was a huge supporter of the program, praising it as
“one of the best public-private partnerships in the state because everyone wins. Corporations that participate get a tax credit and contribute to neighborhood redevelopment programs of their choosing; nonprofit groups with a proven track
record of helping their communities get much-needed dollars; and residents get a better neighborhood.”
As the planning process gets underway, the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project
invites all community members to take part in shaping the future of Whitesboro. All
Whitesboro residents are invited to share their thoughts on what Whitesboro needs to
grow and thrive at bit.ly/WhitesboroSurvey. For more information and updates on the
Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project, visit preservewhitesboro.org.
