As the investigation continues into the cause of last week's fire at N.J.'s Seaside Park and Seaside Heights's famous boardwalk, Gov. Chris Christie announced plans to tap Superstorm Sandy funds to help in recovery efforts from the devastating wind-swept blaze. The governor says the state will act "swiftly and aggressively" in the rebuilding effort for victims including the boardwalk businesses that took a direct blow from Sandy 11 months ago.
The N.J. Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will administer up to $15 million in funding from the state's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery program for Sandy to cover debris removal costs and provide grants and loans to businesses, says Virginia Pellerin, an NJEDA spokeswoman. After Sandy, the federal government allocated funding through the CDBG program to New Jersey and other hard-hit regions.