 |
THE
BTC HOLDS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Bayonne,
NJ — July 11, 2003. The Bayonne Town Center held a meeting
to introduce the membership-at-large to its new officers,
and to provide information about the programs that are available
to merchants and businesses within the district.
Bernie Golomb, of Aaron’s Gold and retiring Chairperson,
introduced the following slate of new Town Center officers:
-
Diane
Brennan, Rennar Boutique--Chairperson
-
Mary
Divock, Klothes Kloset--Vice Chairperson
- Judy
McAuliffe, Pamrapo Savings Bank--Treasurer
- Pat
Murphy, GLM Insurance--Secretary
In attendance was Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr., who congratulated
Ms. Brennan on her new role as Chairperson, and thanked Bernie
Golomb for his service to the Town Center. He also noted that
in the past few years the City has made over $5 million worth
of improvements to the Town Center’s streetscapes, building
facades and residential units and that it was now time for
district businesses to do their share by keeping their facades
and storefronts in good condition. He indicated that he soon
will be sending a letter to every business operator and landlord
in the district stating that the City’s building ordinances
will be strictly enforced.
Also in attendance were Shelia Antczak and Ruby Snead of the
Community Development Office for the City of Bayonne, who
provided information on the façade program. Ms. Snead
said that over 20 storefront renovations had been completed
to date through the façade program and that the City
was willing and able to help many more. She encouraged shopkeepers
to participate in the program.
Al Fazio, President of 21st Century Rail, also joined the
meeting to discuss the opening of the 22nd Street Light Rail
Station in November. In conjunction with his colleagues Jeff
Warsh, Steve Feil, and Jim McDermott, Mr. Fazio briefly outlined
future plans for extending the Light Rail in the community.
He also revealed that the “Bayonne Flyer” will
take just 15 minutes to bring passengers from the new 22nd
Street Station to Exchange Place in Jersey City.
David Milder, Acting District Manager of the Bayonne Town
Center, provided insight into the challenges and opportunities
that the district—and the City—will be facing
in the near future as a result of the impact of new development
and changing demographics. Dr. Milder is a nationally recognized
expert on revitalization of downtown business districts. Good
family-oriented restaurants, gyms and spas, jewelry shops
and banking are the Town Center’s big draws, able to
bring in patrons from all over Bayonne as well as from Jersey
City and Staten Island. But, he added, retailing in the district
needs to be strengthened to give shoppers more choice and
better quality. Most Bayonne residents do their shopping for
department store-type merchandise out of town, according to
available statistics. The district’s retailers need
to be ready to capture the retail expenditures of the new
residents that will be moving into Bayonne over the coming
decade. These new residents will be attracted to Bayonne’s
exceptional quality of life -- good schools, low crime, strong
sense of community, and attractive open spaces.
A moment of silence in honor of John Cappiello, proprietor
of Cappy’s Stride Rite, and former Bayonne Town Center
Chairman, was also observed. Mr. Capiello operated his store
on Broadway for over 27 years, and was well-known throughout
the community for his generosity and concern for his customers.
In addition to the newly installed officers previously mentioned,
the Bayonne Town Center Board of Directors is comprised of
the following members: Councilman John Halecky; Michael O’Connor,
BEDC; Vinnie Bottino, the Big Apple; Lisa Catlin, Bayonne
Medical Center Community Crossing; Vito DeMarco, Carvel Ice
Cream; Bernie Golomb, Aaron’s Gold; and John Gniazdowski,
PSE&G.
The
Bayonne Town Center Management Corporation is a non-profit
organization that manages the day-to-day operations of the
district between 17th and 30th Streets. Its mission is improving
and enhancing the businesses within those areas. In addition
to revitalizing the area, the corporation is also responsible
for providing public relations, advertising, and business
recruitment and retention for area merchants. For further
information about the Town Center, please call 201-339-9409
or contact through the website, info@bayonnetowncenter.com.
#
# # |
