Congressman Albio Sires (NJ) reintroduced the Community Parks Revitalization Act (CPRA), which would help communities revitalize and develop new parks and outdoor recreational facilities.
The American Society of Landscape Architects commends the congressman for reintroducing the act, which could potentially help communities in a variety of ways including, stormwater management issues and limited green space.
The bill could potentially authorize grants for park and recreation agencies, which must be matched with local funds. The bill also includes a financing mechanism that could help establish a program for secured loans and loan guarantees for the parks.
The program was crafted after the Transportation Infrastructure Innovative Financing Act (TIFIA), which would allow for large-scale projects including trails or multiple communities to produce multiple projects together.
