DIGroup Supports Community & Cultural Organizations Pursuing CAFE Program Submissions

MBE Magazine Staff on Apr 30, 2025

NJEDA grant program offers funding for library, community center, museum & performing arts center development and renovations

Community and cultural organizations throughout New Jersey have turned to DIGroup Architecture (DIG) to adapt and modernize facilities that contribute to the broader economic and cultural fabric of the state. Funding is now available for new construction or improvement costs through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Cultural Arts and Facilities Expansion (CAFE) program. The program provides a tax credit of up to 100 percent for qualifying cultural facility projects valued at $75 million or less. Grant applications are being accepted until June 6, 2025.

“For almost 20 years, DIG has been driven by our ‘Architecture for Change’ philosophy. As a certified minority-owned firm with a culturally diverse staff, this foundation is enriched by a unique perspective that prioritizes inclusivity in our approach to the built environment,” says Rich Alderiso, co-founding principal. “We build bridges between history and the future by designing spaces that foster community and cultivate an intimate bond between our built heritage and the evolving needs of 21st-century communities – all with a deep commitment to creating environments that are accessible and welcoming to all.”

DIG is committed to bringing big, unique ideas for cultural and community projects to life, while creating timeless, dynamic hubs that foster knowledge, connection and progress. Leveraging its extensive experience and expertise in library renovations and revitalization, alongside its involvement in other CAFE-qualifying projects like community centers, museums and performing arts centers, DIG has established itself as a trusted collaborative advisor. Consequently, the firm’s multidisciplinary team provides end-to-end CAFE program support, guiding cultural institutions through all phases from conceptual visioning and design to submission-ready design to grant-application support.

Among the built-heritage projects for which DIG has provided design support are:

Three historic Carnegie-funded library renovations (Long Branch, New Jersey and two Free Library of Philadelphia branches in Cobbs Creek and Paschalville, Pennsylvania) and a renovation and addition to the Catherine Dickson Hofman (CDH) Branch of the Warren County Public Library system
Cultural exhibitions and installations at Camden and Trenton Central High Schools, two all-new urban high schools recognized by Preservation New Jersey
Adaptive reuse of a decommissioned firehouse into Unity Square Community Center & Firefighters Museum (New Brunswick])
UNITI Cultural Center at Stony Brook University (Long Island), a welcoming space that celebrates diversity and unity that captured the Merit Award for Design (AIA-NJ) and Top Education Project Award (Long Island Business News)