SOPAC Receives $118,000 County Improvement Grant

South Orange is among 16 Essex County municipalities to receive Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), according to a press release released Tuesday by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr.

South Orange will receive government sponsored project grants totaling $118,216 for improvements at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.

The township will also receive non-profit project grants for $7,900 for the purchase of a radio reader for EIES of New Jersey, the release said.

A total of $4.4 million was distributed Tuesday through the CDBG program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Essex County Division of Housing and Community Development.

“Programs supported through the CDBG programs are direct investments to provide services that enhance our quality of life and help stabilize our neighborhoods by modernizing our infrastructure,” DiVincenzo said in the release.

“These federal grants enable us to upgrade our sidewalks and roads, enhance handicap access, address mental health needs, support food pantries and stimulate economic development in our downtown commercial areas,” he added.