Paterson gets almost $735,000 to repair Danforth Memorial Library
By Jayed Rahman
Published: November 24, 2020
Governor Phil Murphy’s administration has awarded $734,812 to Paterson for the rehabilitation of the historic Danforth Memorial Library.
Funds from the Library Construction Bond Act will be used to renovate the children’s department, the community literacy center, replace the roof, repair the retaining wall, and modify the handicap compliant elevator, according to mayor Andre Sayegh’s administration.
Sayegh’s administration has to add a match, bringing the total for the repair project to $1,469,624.
Murphy’s administration announced the awards on Friday. 38 projects were awarded $86.5 million.
“Our public libraries serve as community bedrocks providing resources and information to thousands of New Jerseyans,” said Murphy on Friday. “With today’s bill signing, libraries will receive critical funding to address accessibility issues for our disability community and provide necessary safety improvements for adequate ventilation systems, as well as upgrading technology that will help shrink the digital divide in communities across the state.”
Awards ranged from $37,500 to $12.5 million.
“The pool of eligible applicants reflected many strong projects responding to compelling community needs. These 38 awards rate as the ‘best of the best’ by the review committee,” said New Jersey state librarian Mary Chute.
Among the projects are ten new library buildings.
Paterson’s amount from the bond is the 16th smallest award.
“There’s a lot work to be done. Every little bit counts. For me it’s big,” said library director Corey Fleming.
A second round of awards is planned for the first quarter of 2021.
Below is a list of all the awards in the initial round:
- $12,500,000 to the West New York Public Library in West New York, Hudson County
- $9,364,500 to the Pennsauken Free Public Library in Pennsauken Township, Camden County
- $8,388,250 to the Maplewood Memorial Library in Maplewood Township, Essex County
- $5,500,000 to the Roselle Public Library in Roselle Borough, Union County
- $5,375,000 to the Montgomery Township Branch (Somerset County Library System) in Montgomery Township, Somerset County
- $5,000,000 to the Jersey City Public Library in Jersey City, Hudson County
- $3,586,852 to the South Brunswick Public Library in South Brunswick Township, Middlesex County
- $3,497,500 to the Fanwood Memorial Library in Fanwood Borough, Union County
- $3,447,081 to the Cape May County Library at Historic Franklin Street School in Cape May, Cape May County
- $3,262,260 to the Millville Public Library in Millville, Cumberland County
- $3,098,217 to the West Orange Public Library in West Orange Township, Essex County
- $3,080,875 to the Sussex County Library System (Dennis Memorial Library Branch) in Newton, Sussex County
- $2,999,530 to the Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library, Lake Hiawatha Branch in Lake Hiawatha, Morris County
- $2,329,500 to the Cranbury Public Library in Cranbury Township, Middlesex County
- $1,950,000 to the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan, Monmouth County
- $1,525,475 to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in Wallington, Bergen County
- $1,314,000 to the Franklin Township Public Library, Southern Branch, in Franklin Park, Somerset County
- $1,200,000 to the Dover Free Public Library in Dover, Morris County
- $1,100,000 to the Lincoln Park Public Library in Lincoln Park Borough, Morris County
- $1,000,000 to the Free Public Library and Cultural Center of Bayonne in Bayonne, Hudson County
- $980,837 to the Hunterdon County Library in Flemington, Hunterdon County
- $889,000 to the Freehold Public Library in Freehold Borough, Monmouth County
- $734,812 to the Paterson Danforth Memorial Library in Paterson, Passaic County
- $600,000 to the Franklin Township Public Library in Franklin Township, Gloucester County
- $524,142 to the Cumberland County Library in Bridgeton, Cumberland County
- $507,000 to the Paramus Public Library in Paramus Borough, Bergen County
- $500,000 to the East Orange Public Library in East Orange, Essex County
- $379,960 to the Atlantic City Free Public Library in Atlantic City, Atlantic County
- $322,091 to the Atlantic County Hammonton Branch Library in Hammonton, Atlantic County
- $292,750 to the Ringwood Public Library in Ringwood Borough, Passaic County
- $263,159 to the River Edge Public Library in River Edge Borough, Bergen County
- $248,640 to the Monroe Township Library in Monroe Township, Middlesex County
- $175,000 to the Avon Public Library in Avon-By-The-Sea Borough, Monmouth County
- $150,000 to the Red Bank Public Library in Red Bank Borough, Monmouth County
- $139,705 to the Totowa Public Library in Totowa Borough, Passaic County
- $130,404 to the Garfield Public Library in Garfield, Bergen County
- $90,000 to the Leonia Public Library in Leonia Borough, Bergen County
- $37,500 to the Bernardsville Public Library in Bernardsville Borough, Somerset County.
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Updated 10:09 a.m.