Definitely -this to me is the guts of the issue with AP's revitalization and
the rebuilding of the downtown area.
Right now, AP is all about food and nightlife - primarily restaurants and
bars. There are a few specialty businesses - some that have carved out a
successful niche for themselves - but retail for the masses/mainstream is
non-existent. And despite the triCity's constant preaching about "suburban
conformity" and the coolness factor we have in attracting the Brooklyn crowds,
for this city to truly grow we need a more active effort at attracting
significant businesses that draw from a wider demographic and that can exist
profitably. I'm not ready to embrace a GAP or Banana Republic Store
(especially with the outlet mall a short drive away and both Monmouth and
Freehold Malls maintaining a significant presence in chain stores), but we need
a business model that includes retail stores that provide that destination
experience. We also need to marry the "best interests" of Madison Marquette
which is truly only concerned with leasing retail space on the
boardwalk and building more condos/townhouses with the needs of the downtown
businesses.....
There are a number of towns and communities in NJ that have created vibrant
downtowns that act as destinations (Montclair, Westfield, Westwood, and
Madison-Chatham as well as Princeton and Lambertville). Make this an
attractive destination and parking will stop being such a major concern.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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