Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ueza Marketing Application Jcedc topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
JCEDC Seeks $2 million+ in State UEZ Funds for Marketing, Events and Staff
Summary
The Jersey City Economic Development Corporation told the council it will apply to the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority for more than $2 million to fund marketing, events and staffing tied to upcoming tourism and citywide events.
The Jersey City Economic Development Corporation sought council approval on Monday to submit several applications to the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority (UEZA) that would fund a second phase marketing program and related initiatives totaling roughly $2,000,305.
A JCEDC representative told the Municipal Council the package includes $750,000 for an existing marketing firm (MWW) to support Jersey City-specific campaigns tied to major events such as the World Cup and America 250; $450,000 for promotional merchandise; $600,000 earmarked for July celebrations tied to large events expected next year; $50,000 for JCEDC website upgrades; $63,000 for conferences, memberships and a PlacerAI subscription for demographic research; and funds for sponsorships, small local events and a $75,000 pool to hire media content managers or consultants on a temporary basis.
The JCEDC representative said the marketing firm MWW has been the agency of record for about three years, has international reach and is familiar to the state UEZ authority, which the EDC said supports working with them. The EDC representative said the marketing plan also includes social media, print and video content intended to reach international and domestic visitors, and that a detailed marketing plan would be forwarded to council members.
The representative said the application would be submitted to the UEZA for a 45-day review and, if accepted, would be considered by the state in August. Two additional UEZ applications were presented: one to support an off-duty police program for security at events and locations and another for the JCEDC fiscal-year 2026 six-month administrative budget of $379,477, which the EDC said the state prefers to receive as a six-month request.
The council asked clarifying questions about the marketing plan, eligible uses of the funds and the timeline for state review; no vote was taken at caucus. The JCEDC representative said the sponsorship and events line includes partnerships with local festivals and that the UEZ education materials are intended to help local businesses register as UEZ businesses — a step the representative said increases the city’s annual allocation from the state when more businesses enroll.
If the council adopts the resolutions at the formal meeting, the city would submit the applications to the UEZA and await the authority’s review and agenda scheduling.
