Red Bank RiverCenter Awarded For Summer ‘Broadwalk’ Effort

RED BANK, NJ - The New Jersey Downtown Conference - a statewide non-profit organization devoted to downtown economic development - has recently recognized the Red Bank RiverCenter’s innovative outdoor shopping and dining center on Broad Street this past summer.

From June to November, the pedestrian-only “Broadwalk” allowed downtown Red Bank retail shops and restaurants to expand space into the street and accommodate for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more: Red Bank Pedestrian Plaza Plans To Stay Through September

Red Bank RiverCenter was awarded with the Downtown Placemaking Award for Early Action/Medium-Sized Organization at a virtual ceremony during the New Jersey Downtown Conference last week.

Here’s what the organization had to say about Red Bank RiverCenter:

“To help its downtown businesses weather the economic impact of the pandemic, Red Bank RiverCenter created the Red Bank Broadwalk, an outdoor dining and retail plaza in the center of its downtown. The project was the brainchild of the Red Bank Reopens Task Force. The project was the brainchild of the Red Bank Reopens Task Force. 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.”

For the first-ever award ceremony, nominations were accepted in two categories: early action and winning winter. Nominee categories also varied by capacity of downtown districts and considered resource restrictions such as staff and budgets.

“This is the first ever Downtown New Jersey Placemaking Awards. In a normal year, we would gather in-person to celebrate projects, programs, and leaders at the Downtown Excellence Awards,” DNJ’s Executive Director Courtenay Mercer said in a statement. “Since we could not do a larger program this year, we wanted to recognize excellent placemaking projects and initiatives helping small business cope with the economic strain of COVID-19.”