The Aubrey Group was selected as Matawan’s grants consultant in late 2022 and onboarded in early 2023. Matawan’s priorities include Historic Preservation, Emergency Services, Recreation, Beautification, and Economic Development.

According to the Monmouth County Master Plan, Matawan has been designated as an upcoming Arts, Cultural, and Entertainment (ACE) Hub, which is defined as municipalities that have a high concentration of arts and cultural activities to serve as a destination for both visitors and locals, usually including an active nightlife scene in proximity to said cultural activities.

Along with arts and culture, historical preservation is a Borough priority. Matawan’s Main Street and surrounding streets contain dozens of historical houses and buildings dating back to the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. 

Notably, The Aubrey Group helped the Borough secure two grants totaling $183,341.00 from the New Jersey Historic Trust, specifically from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund, within the first few months of commencing the working relationship. These resources allowed for critical electrical upgrades totaling $149,377.00, as well as $33,964.00 for a Preservation Plan to guide long-term improvements to the Burrowes Mansion in Matawan. Borough Historian and Chair of the Matawan Historical Sites Commission Kurtis Roinestad noted the Mansion as “a treasured institution in our Borough … [with] substantial historical significance in Matawan.”

Since the 2023 fiscal year, The Aubrey Group has generated $744,000.00 in awards for the Borough of Matawan, including:

• NJDCA Local Recreation Improvement for Penniplede Park: $74,000.00 awarded

• NJDCA Local Recreation Improvement for Clinton Street Park Accessibility: $70,000.00 awarded

• Monmouth County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG):  $134,747.00 awarded

• Monmouth County Municipal Park Improvement Grant: $192,000.00 awarded

• NJDEP Urban Community Forestry Stewardship Grant: $15,000.00 awarded

• NPS Saving America's Treasures Semiquincentennial Grant: $194,075.00 requested

• NJ Historic Trust Historic Site Management Grant: $33,964.00 awarded

• NJDCA ARP Firefighter Grant: $75,000.00 awarded

In addition to the above, The Aubrey Group has submitted an additional $2 million in grant requests in late 2024 and early 2025. Our team regularly checks for award announcements on behalf of the Borough. 

Meetings and touchpoint calls with the Borough’s Administration, Engineering, Recreation, Fire Department, Historical Commission, and Shade Tree Commission are in place to maintain an open line of communication and collaboration.

About the Client: Matawan is a historic community in Monmouth County. The Borough is a commuter town of New York City, and, as of the 2020 United States census, has a population of 9,565. Matawan was part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area’s economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline. A 2023 analysis using FBI statistics on small-town safety determined that Matawan was the 194th safest small town in the United States.

Photo Credit: Borough of Matawan, NJ Facebook page.