Oceanport Secures County Grant for New Blackberry Bay Park Building

Oceanport will soon be able to move forward with at thanks to the recent approval of an open space grant from Monmouth County.

The $150,000 county grant will be matched by the Borough, Councilman Joseph Irace announced on the Oceanport Residents Facebook page.

"The good news is that it will come out of our open space fund which taxpayers approved over 10 years ago so the money is already in place," Irace told residents.

The project, which will cost an estimated $300,000, will feature storage space for the recreation department's hockey, soccer, and baseball equipment, as well as new bathroom facilities, a snack bar, and a covered picnic area, all housed within the same structure.

The new facilities will also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), allowing residents with special needs to enjoy them.

Members of the Oceanport Recreation Committee worked in conjunction with the Council to put together the application for the grant.

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved a total of $2.6 million in grants to 13 municipalities from the 2011 Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund, the freeholders said.

“This year 13 towns submitted complete applications and all were awarded funding,” said County Freeholder Lillian Burry.

Fair Haven, Hazlet, Keansburg, Long Branch, Marlboro, Millstone, Neptune, Red Bank, Spring Lake Heights, Union Beach, Upper Freehold and Wall Township were also awarded grants. All of the county’s 53 municipalities were eligible to apply for the land acquisition and park facility awards.

This is the ninth year the Monmouth County Open Space Grant Program has awarded grants to municipalities seeking to create or improve park facilities. More than $20 million has been granted to municipalities since the project began, the county said.