Press Release

Visual Enhancement Plan Guides Downtown Facade Improvement

Central to the visual enhancement plan in Elizabeth, NJ, is a detailed evaluation of every downtown property, interviews with merchants and shoppers, grants for improvements, and an enhanced partnership with the city, which will provide additional maintenance.

(Boonton, NJ, March 1, 2012) — A visual enhancement plan in Elizabeth, NJ, is well on its way to making the downtown area more inviting. Central to the plan is a detailed evaluation of every downtown property, interviews with merchants and shoppers, grants for improvements, and an enhanced partnership with the city, which will provide additional maintenance. The first step in the program was a "curb to cornice" physical inventory of the district.

Every commercial facade and block side was evaluated. Included in the study were:

• Curb to structural frame analysis including weeds, trash, debris, facades, broken windows, worn awnings, old signs, burned out lights, paint condition, etc.
• Documentation of conditions by digital photography and a checklist report for each property.
• Documentation of general, non-property specific, conditions.
• Recommendations for funding and incentives to encourage property owners to make costly improvements and for a volunteer workforce to assist with simple improvements on a block-wide basis.
• The final plan also includes recommendations for improvements owners can make to increase the safety and customer appeal of the business fronts, and to increase the value of the business corridor as a whole.

Information on the next steps for improvement appear in the March issue of Downtown Idea Exchange.

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About the Downtown Research & Development Center

For over 50 years, the Downtown Research & Development Center has acted as the information clearinghouse on practical strategies and tactics for revitalizing the hearts of our cities and towns.

The Group\'s main activities include publishing the widely influential Downtown Idea Exchange and Downtown Promotion Reporter newsletters; publishing relevant books and reports; and operating the DowntownDevelopment.com website.

Website: http://www.DowntownDevelopment.com