To complement Downtown New Jersey’s state-specific news and advocacy, members also receive a 25% discount on Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter. It will be your source for nationwide news, information, and examples of how downtowns of all sizes are reopening, repositioning, and moving forward. Learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and how it will deepen your resources and complement your…Continue reading
The owner of 15 South Avenue in downtown New Canaan, CT, is seeking permission to convert second floor commercial space to residential. For years, both floors in the small building have been retail. Because of the low demand for retail space in the city center, the owner would like develop a one bedroom apartment. Many…Continue reading
For a quarter-century, the Downtown Improvement District (DID) in Reading, PA, managed the city’s declining urban core. The DID’s ambassadors picked up trash, and the organization hosted summer concerts, a holiday parade, and other events. However, Reading never experienced a true downtown renaissance, and questions about the DID’s effectiveness festered. Those doubts came to a…Continue reading
Following the lead of similar successful projects, Kuna, ID, will launch its own retail market village in June. The village will consist of 12 small shops in re-purposed garden sheds. The sheds will surround a central green space with room for food trucks and small gatherings. Lisa Holland, the city’s economic development director, says that…Continue reading
A new breed of business could lead a wave of downtown revitalization. Niche manufacturers — think craft jewelers, makers of small-batch lotions and cosmetics, and microbrewers — are a growing, but often overlooked, segment of the post-pandemic economy, says Ilana Preuss, founder of consulting firm Recast City. "There is this hidden economic engine in every…Continue reading
In Monticello, IL, the city is encouraging downtown property owners to improve their historic buildings through a more generous grant program aimed at beautifying the small city’s historic district. Monticello Main Street and the city operated a Façade Improvement Grant program that distributed more than $1 million over 19 years. But in the city’s historic…Continue reading
