Red Bank Council Seeks To Establish Ad Hoc 'Broadwalk' Committee

RED BANK, NJ - Following the unprecedented success of downtown Red Bank’s pedestrian mall last summer, the Red Bank council is seeking to establish a committee dedicated to the continuation of the popular destination (see below for meeting instructions).

A resolution to establish an ad hoc “Pedestrian Mall Review Committee” is on the table for this Wednesday’s council meeting, aimed to continue the socially-distant shopping and dining center that “assisted and accelerated the Red Bank business community’s re-opening during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.”

The committee, slated to include a working group of Red Bank businesses, residents, and Borough staff, would work to review and improve the pedestrian mall during 2021, according to the resolution. Improvements for this upcoming year may include set-up, organization, layouts, permitted spaces and designated areas within the temporary pedestrian mall.

Beginning in June 2020, the Broadwalk closed a portion at the end of Broad, Wallace and White streets for locals to enjoy spacious patio dining service and outdoor shopping. While its earlier iteration saw traffic close through the weekend, the Broadwalk became a 24/7 operation in September 2020. Read more: Red Bank Pedestrian Plaza To Stay Open 24/7 Through November

The Red Bank RiverCenter - which sponsored the initiative - was recently awarded for its Broadwalk efforts by Downtown New Jersey. During a January ceremony, the organization said the following of the RiverCenter:

“Within days of the Governor’s order permitting outdoor dining, Red Bank was able to open the Broadwalk and several streateries. Two blocks of Broad Street were closed to vehicular traffic, first starting on weekends and then ultimately 24/7. This project helped Red Bank’s businesses make the most of the outdoor season, provided a safe place for residents and visitors to go as they emerged from lockdown, helped keep Red Bank in the minds of those still not comfortable with eating out, and created an increased sense of civic pride due to positive media coverage about the town.”

Read more: Red Bank RiverCenter Awarded For Summer 'Broadwalk' Effort

The Red Bank Council meeting will be held on Feb. 10 and 6:30 p.m. To join the meeting, click here.