Perth Amboy redevelopment: 'Expect some busy months and years ahead,' says new agency head
PERTH AMBOY – Tashilee Vazquez is wearing many hats these days as director of the Perth Amboy Office of Economic and Community Development and in her newest title as executive director of the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency.
In her newest role Vazquez, a third-generation city resident, will lead efforts to address blighted properties around Perth Amboy, working with redevelopers to invest in the parcels and building the type of quality neighborhoods she envisions for all Perth Amboy residents, no matter their income or background.
Vazquez is already knowledgeable in pointing out brownfield sites in the city and any other property ripe for redevelopment.
“Expect some busy months and years ahead,” said Vazquez, noting the agency is poised to announce a stream of redevelopment initiatives that have been steadily in the works. “Perth Amboy is squarely focused on redevelopment; it is a very exciting time to be in the city.”
At the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency, Vazquez is the liaison between real estate developers, the agency’s commissioners and city administrators to ensure seamless redevelopment, from initial discussions about a parcel to a ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of a new project.
“Tashilee is the ideal choice to serve as our executive director,” said Board Chair Joel Rosa. “She has a wealth of knowledge about the city, a tremendous work ethic and is passionate about moving Perth Amboy forward. Because of her work in the community and economic development, she will centralize the city’s efforts, creating a one-stop point for developers eager to invest in Perth Amboy.”
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One of the projects she will be involved with is creating a new master plan; Perth Amboy has not undergone the comprehensive, community-driven process since 2003. The agency will be providing input to the Planning Board to ensure redevelopment initiatives align with the city's long-term goals while also advocating for the creation of a downtown transit village.
“We are not interested in speaking with developers who simply want to build as much as possible without incorporating the needs and desires of residents,” Vazquez said. “The agency encourages development that builds community, creating new and vibrant places for people to live, work and recreate.”
Vazquez, who completed her second term on the Perth Amboy Board of Education in December, began working for City Hall in 2017 in the office of housing and social services and has served in the city’s economic and community development office since 2019. She is also a commissioner with the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, which has provided funding for redevelopment initiatives in Perth Amboy.
Her grandparents owned a State Street restaurant in the 1960s. She has an undergraduate degree in law and justice from The College of New Jersey and a graduate degree in public administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Through the pandemic, she helped secure more than $15 million in outside grants for Perth Amboy park improvements, neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure improvements, affordable housing and public safety and helped 80 local businesses receive $750,000 in small business grants, while more than $400,000 was given to residents needing rental assistance.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency taps new executive director
