Scotch Plains Showcases Plans for Proposed Downtown Redevelopment
For the first time in decades, the Township of Scotch Plains has a redevelopment plan for its downtown.
The Downtown Redevelopment Committee released details and conceptual renderings of the redevelopment plan at its August 11 meeting, following months of work from the Mayor and Council, Committee members, and Township professionals.
The plan involves the redevelopment of 9.5 acres of municipally-owned properties, plus the Rescue Squad lot, that have been underused and have stifled economic growth for years. The redevelopment area primarily includes land on Park Avenue, Bartle Avenue, Westfield Avenue, and Forest Road.
“For decades, Scotch Plains residents have been asking about downtown redevelopment, as we have watched neighboring communities methodically upgrading and expanding their commercial corridors to attract customers,” said Mayor Josh Losardo, chair of the Downtown Redevelopment Committee.
“When I took office in January, our team was squarely focused on writing the right redevelopment plan for Scotch Plains,” the mayor said. “Any resident can agree that this is our time, finally, to launch a redevelopment plan that can create a lasting legacy for this entire community. We will be bringing new vibrancy to our downtown with a mix of new stores, restaurants, planned events and services.”
The plan permits the construction of 350 residential units spread across the redevelopment area, a minimum of 15,000 square feet of commercial space for new restaurants and stores, and two major public open space plazas for a combined total of approximately 13,500 square feet for new outdoor events and activities.
A centerpiece of the newly-released plan is a new public library and town hall combined in a single building, replacing the existing antiquated library on Bartle Avenue and town hall on Park Avenue.
With the current town hall demolished, the available property would then be converted into a mixed-use, revenue-generating development, with ground-floor retail, adding to the foot traffic on Park Avenue and, with increased customer volume, supporting existing businesses that have been the cornerstone of commerce for decades.
It is anticipated that police, fire, and rescue operations would also be relocated into a new facility on municipally-owned property on Plainfield Avenue to make way for downtown redevelopment and generate additional revenue. A shared/joint service for municipal court with neighboring municipalities is being explored so that a new court room would not be needed.
The redevelopment plan would also satisfy a major portion of the Township’s unmet affordable need housing obligations. The redevelopment plan would create a “Veteran’s Residency Preference,” in which up to 50% of the affordable housing units built in the plan would be given preference to any low- and moderate-income veteran who served in time of war or other emergency.
The plan also addresses public parking, designed to ensure that all existing public parking spaces would be reconstructed and distributed throughout downtown in order to protect existing business owners and allow for convenient public parking for residents and visitors. The developer(s) would also be required to construct needed parking for the new residential units and commercial space.
Before a vote for introduction, the plan is to continue to be reviewed by the Township Council and Downtown Redevelopment Committee, with as much public input as possible. Residents with questions or comments should contact Tom Strowe, Project Coordinator for Redevelopment, at t