Brick Takes Steps To Fill Town's Vacant Storefronts

If you’re considering opening a new business in town, Brick Township officials want you to consider filling a vacant storefront.

And they’re willing to waive fees to convince you to do it.

That is the upshot of an ordinance that is expected to be approved when the Brick Township Council meets tonight at 7 at the municipal building. Though the council normally meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month, this week they are meeting Monday night instead because of Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown Tuesday.

(UPDATE: The ordinance was approved Monday night by the council. It goes into effect in 20 days.)

The ordinance, titled “Waiver of Fees for Construction to Permit the Renovation of Existing Vacant Commercial Structures,” waives business license fees, permit fees and others for someone who chooses to start a business in an existing, vacant commercial structure in town, Mayor John Ducey said.

“The idea is to fill empty storefronts in our town,” Ducey said at the Township council meeting on Sept. 8, where the ordinance was formally introduced.

Ducey first announced his plan to waive fees to make the town more attractive to small businesses in June, as a way to address the number of empty storefronts in the township’s many strip malls.

The ordinance introduction was delayed, Ducey said at the Sept. 8 meeting, because the state Department of Community Affairs sought more details about what Brick was planning to do, because no other town has done anything like this.

“This is the first in New Jersey,” Ducey said Monday night. “The state gave their blessing.”

The ordinance allows the town to waive fees for a small business that chooses to renovate a vacate commercial property that has been empty for at least the previous 12 months and that is smaller than 5,000 square feet. The space cannot have any outstanding property taxes or outstanding property maintenance violations, according to the ordinance, and Uniform Construction Code Surcharge fees are not eligible to be waived.

The goal is to encourage small businesses to locate in town and keep business in town, Ducey said.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our community,” Ducey said. ”They’re the ones who donate to community events, the PTAs, the school events.”

More often than not, the large chain businesses build new structures, Ducey said, and they don’t need to have the fees waived, because they can afford them.

“It will make the town look better by filling the empty storefronts,” he said.

A couple of residents expressed concerns, noting that commercial landlords charge a significant amount of rent that is an obstacle for someone starting a new business.

“We can’t control the landlords,” Ducey said, ”but we can control the fees. Let’s get the government out of it.”

or prevent businesses from wanting to build” new structures where those structures conform to the zoning, but by waiving fees it can encourage some business owners to try this option instead, Ducey said.

“The more money that stays here in Brick the better off we are,” Ducey said.