Continued...

Planning as an Agent of Change

In 2006, New Jersey officially pledged no less than $10 million towards the development of the Great Falls State Park—creating an unprecedented opportunity for the nearby historic district, and the City of Paterson as a whole. Even more recently, Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, in concert with former Mayor and Congressman Bill Pascrell, and a cadre of engaged citizens, supporters, and historic preservation activists, united the entire New Jersey Congressional delegation to spearhead a broad bi-partisan majority to help make the case for a new portion of the National Park Service: the Great Falls National Historical Park. This coalition envisioned the effort as a way to improve the quality of life in Paterson by maximizing the benefits of both State and Federal funding (a rare event as the federal government continues devolving its fiscal responsibilities for core services and public goods down to local governments). For activists, it has also become a way to set the historical record straight and to permanently illustrate Hamilton’s vision for fostering public-private partnerships to stimulate economic growth.

In addition to the aforementioned protections, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act also permanently preserves the 35 acres surrounding Paterson’s Great Falls and Race system. At the bill signing, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar noted that “America’s best ideas for protecting our vast lands and open spaces have often arrived while our country has faced its greatest trials,” referring to the economic crisis facing the nation. Salazar pointed out that it was Abraham Lincoln who set aside the lands that are now Yosemite National Park during the Civil War and Franklin D. Roosevelt who created the Civilian Conservation Corp to help put millions of young Americans to work building trails, campgrounds and parks—all in the midst of the Great Depression.

Building off this effort, NJCDC has worked to maximize the benefits on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by linking it directly to a comprehensive neighborhood planning and revitalization effort. Over the course of the last year, NJCDC facilitated a resident-led planning process designed to intentionally connect the Great Falls Park, the historic district, the Greater Spruce Street Neighborhood (the areas surrounding the proposed park), and ultimately the whole City of Paterson. NJCDC has been working to ensure that this plan is integrated with the creation of much needed green space and recreational opportunities, community programming that benefits local residents through employment and by way of spurring public and private investment.

For NJCDC and its community partners, this is particularly important in low-income and minority neighborhoods where outside interests determine the shape of housing and economic development efforts—overriding the interests of local residents, institutions, and long-standing community stakeholders. The plan NJCDC recently completed has the strong backing of residents and prominent institutions—a critical component for ensuring these neighborhood priorities will be implemented in the face of indifference and potentially opposing forces.