DEP Approves Permits To Restore Assunpink Creek

February 19th, 2015 by Jane Rosenblatt

A rendering of the completed Assunpink daylighting project. Courtesy of BRS, Inc. for the City of Trenton.

On Feb. 12 the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced it has approved permits to restore a 500-foot-long stretch of the Assunpink Creek that runs underground along Broad Street in downtown Trenton. The restoration will include removal of the culvert that covers the creek, allowing it to be “daylighted” and the banks on either side of it to be planted with native riparian vegetation. The restoration will also restore fish habitat, and a planned pedestrian walkway will connect sections of the Assunpink Greenway. The $4 million project is set to be completed by spring 2016.

New Jersey Future has been involved with the project, in particular with facilitating public outreach and engagement, and with expediting the process from design to implementation.

The culvert over the Assunpink Creek that will be removed.

“It’s great to see the City of Trenton and DEP working towards the ‘greening’ of our urban environment,” said Peter Kasabach, executive director of New Jersey Future. “This project will provide the city with many benefits, from stormwater management and habitat restoration to creation of a true urban asset that all its residents can enjoy. This is a great example for the rest of New Jersey’s urban areas for how to introduce or restore green areas in their communities.”

“This project has many benefits for our city,” said Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson in a statement. “It will enhance our downtown and help attract economic development, while improving the quality of life for our residents and visitors. It also will improve a vital historic location that housed Trenton’s first industrial development and was the site of an important battle in the American Revolution.”

More information on New Jersey Future’s work on the project.