See what Lakewood's $5 million plan to improve downtown business area looks like
LAKEWOOD – Downtown Lakewood could see more police patrols, expanded parking and improved infrastructure as part of $5 million in improvements being proposed in coming months, according to Mayor Ray Coles.
The renewed efforts, which include a recently revived downtown business group, come as the area has seen a diminished retail base while other parts of Lakewood have expanded under a population boom.
“So much commercial space has opened up throughout the entire town, it has affected (downtown) commercial operations,” Coles said. “There are a lot more options so we want to bring business into the downtown.”
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The 10 square blocks bordered by Route 9, Main Street, Lexington Avenue and 5th Street that comprise the downtown district began with horse-drawn wagons over plank roads more than 140 years ago. The neighborhood later grew to be the center of activity as Lakewood flourished through the 20th Century, officials said.
In recent years, as Lakewood’s population has skyrocketed from 92,843 in 2010 to 135,138 in 2020, retail expansion grew throughout the 25-square-mile community, resulting in some downtown outlets relocating.
In November, officials launched a survey of downtown businesses to see how many retail sites were vacant and find out what issues merchants consider priorities, Coles said.
Soon after, the township hired Triad Associates of Vineland to create a five-year plan for the township to utilize future Urban Enterprise Zone funds. The firm is being paid $25,000.
David Klein, executive director of the Lakewood Development Corporation, which oversees the township’s enterprise zone funds, said proposed projects could include:
A new 220-space Third Street parking lot.
Two police officers dedicated to downtown patrols and services.
Two township employees dedicated to monitoring the downtown for cleanliness and potential repairs.
New sidewalks and lights along Clifton Avenue from Route 88 to 7th Street
Exterior facade improvements for some buildings.
“We are looking into hiring two police officers, known as alternates, that could patrol the downtown and manage traffic flow,” Klein added, noting the tab for all the downtown work would be about $5 million. “We are also looking to commission a traffic study.”
Urban Enterprise Zones are areas determined by the state Department of Community Affairs to be in need of economic aid and are required to charge customers only half of the state’s 6.625% sales tax.
State officials then set aside half of the tax collected in the enterprise zone and distribute it back to municipalities for improvements in those locations.
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Since nearly all of Downtown Lakewood is designated under the enterprise zone, that funding can go toward improvement projects there, Coles said.
State officials recently directed the township to create the five-year plan before any future projects can be approved, the mayor said.
Lakewood received about $5.2 million in UEZ funds in 2023 and is expected to be granted about $7.2 million in 2024, Klein said.
“We can always use parking, parking is challenging,” said Tom Calabro, owner of Twin City Jewelers. “The infrastructure is just not built to handle it. I would also like to see more police patrols. We used to have them and one or two were always in downtown walking, it was nice. Real community policing.”
Calabro said the area suffered when the Post Office on Clifton Avenue closed in 2014. The township’s only post office is now more than 3 miles away in the Lakewood Industrial Park. “That cut down on a lot of the walking traffic,” he said.
Calabro is on the board of the newly revived Downtown Committee, which was recreated in October after Klein met with a group of business owners seeking upgrades. The group had disbanded in 2016.
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Coles said more funds for local retailers may be part of the proposals as well.
None of the projects can more forward until the five-year plan is created and approved by the state. Each project also requires state approval if UEZ funds are to be used.
Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of three books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lakewood officials reveal vision, some details of $5 million downtown renewal
