A planning consultant will study underused lots downtown to identify the potential for new uses that could connect recent developments with needed amenities.
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City Council passed a resolution (AR-118-20) during its virtual May 11 regular meeting awarding a $27,500 contract to Heyer, Gruel, and Associates (HGA) for a strategic planning study. The study will serve multiple functions, including as a “repository of information on the current development climate, a roster of stakeholders, an overview of fundraising opportunities, and a marketing document for potential investors/developers,” according to materials that accompanied the resolution.
“Something we think is important: to look at what we’ve started to look at as infill. That is, connecting some of the larger apartments, where there isn’t meaningful development connecting them now,” City Administrator Robert Landolfi said during a telephone interview last week. “We think it’s important to start making progress toward some of that infill,” he said.
Infill, per dictionary.com, is described as the “planned conversion of empty lots, underused or rundown buildings, and other available space in densely built-up urban and suburban areas for use as sites for commercial buildings and housing, frequently as an alternative to overdevelopment of rural areas.”
“Some uses that we really need in the downtown area that separate us from what I’m going call a true city…where you can walk and get all the essentials you need to do in daily life,” such as a pharmacy, doctor’s office, or food store. “You need those things. We don’t have those things in the downtown but we do have areas where we need to put infill,” City Administrator Robert Landolfi said during a telephone interview last week. The planning study will identify what the needs are, where they could possibly go and who the city could attract there and is expected to be completed within 90 days.
“Another part of it, we also think — it’s already starting to happen — that there’s going to be an outflow of residents, and possibly businesses, away from congested population centers,” Landolfi said, such as New York City, and Hoboken and Jersey City. “You have some real high density areas, there’s going to be outflow, we think. We really wanna be in a position to capitalize on that,” he said.
With more housing coming online downtown, Landolfi said it’s important to get those other amenities — almost essentials — in place to capitalize on. “The way we’re looking at it, we’re trying to be a forefront, not at the tail end. We’re trying to figure out where that forefront is. Taking advantage of it is the real trick.”
The Red Bank-based community planning consultants, also recently completed a redevelopment plan for the Arts District Redevelopment Area. on the north end of downtown, for which it was received a $33,000 contract in December.
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