SAIPAN — The Commonwealth marked a major milestone in community development Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the Garapan Revitalization Project, a large-scale effort to modernize infrastructure, improve public spaces, and strengthen Saipan’s historic commercial core.
The project was funded primarily through a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, which awarded approximately $11.2 million in 2022 to the Office of Planning and Development to support the engineering, design, and construction of street improvements throughout the Garapan Core.
According to the Office of the Governor, the revitalization focused on enhancing walkability, safety, accessibility, and long-term economic vitality for residents, businesses, and visitors. Improvements included repaving core streets with modern, traffic-friendly designs, constructing new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and on-street parking, and installing updated street lighting and landscaping to improve safety and overall ambience in the district.
“This project represents a major investment in the future of Saipan and the CNMI,” Governor David M. Apatang said during the ceremony, noting the role of federal support and local coordination in delivering the project. He said the revitalization positions Garapan to better support small business growth, tourism recovery, and community life moving forward.
The administration said the project reflects close coordination between federal partners and local leadership and underscores the importance of sustained investment in key economic and cultural areas of Saipan.
