Return Of Downtown 'Broadwalk' Proposed To Red Bank Council

RED BANK, NJ — Plans to enhance the 2023 Broadwalk experience in downtown Red Bank were presented to the Red Bank Council Wednesday night, although the council stopped short of authorizing its return this summer at the meeting.

Mayor Billy Portman urged the council to consider giving the authorization to RiverCenter as soon as its next meeting, however.

This year, with the big Broad Street reconstruction project behind it, RiverCenter hopes to have the Broadwalk operating from May through October, Executive Director Bob Zuckerman told the council on Wednesday.

Portman said he hopes the council acts soon on what all agree is a popular concept of a pedestrian plaza for outdoor dining, music and other community activities.

And Zuckerman, of course, urged the council to reauthorize the concept - and to keep fees for restaurants at 2022 levels.

The Broadwalk came into being in 2020, as a response to COVID restrictions on indoor dining. The concept is popular and has become an anticipated part of the summer scene ever since.

Last summer, the opening was delayed until late July, he noted, when a major reconstruction project was completed on Broad Street.

Zuckerman gave a report on how the organization plans to build on the positives of Broadwalk and mitigate some of the negatives.

He said a survey of restaurant owners showed two-thirds like the idea of the Broadwalk, which runs on Broad Street from Front Street south to White Street and is cordoned off by retractable, protective bollards at either end.

The outdoor concept is a festive way to attract visitors to Red Bank in the summer when tourists often set their sights on beach towns like Long Branch and Sea Bright, Zuckerman said.

He told the council that restaurants outside the zone were discouraged from setting up tables because of increased fees last year, which he said he hoped could return to 2021 levels.

He listed some areas RiverCenter will improve upon, based on feedback:

• Downtimes at the Broadwalk on weekday afternoons.
• Unsightly orange construction barrels at either end of the Broadwalk.
• Violations of loading zone restrictions.
• Trash accumulation.

Zuckerman said RiverCenter this year has more time to plan for the new season, and so can work with the borough Recreation Department and other groups to provide more daytime programming in the pedestrian-friendly zone. It will expand on things such as exercise classes, musical programs and activities for young people, he said.

RiverCenter also likes the idea of a "community tent," near the closed CoCo Pari site where people can sit and order lunch or dinner and have it delivered on foot.

As for the orange barrels, Zuckerman said RiverCenter will purchase bollard covers that are decorative and seasonally designed to look appealing to visitors, yet would be more noticeable to drivers to ensure protection of the area.

To prevent misuse of loading zones, he said RiverCenter will work with the borough to increase enforcement, improve signage to warn off those taking advantage of the spots and will also talk to vendors about how best to handle deliveries.

Regarding litter, Zuckerman said crews will fan out in the entire area at least two times a day to pick up and control trash.

After the presentation, the council didn't take immediate action, although all the members seemed receptive.

Councilwoman Kate Triggiano suggested RiverCenter could be given the go-ahead just to get started on its plans, adding that most issues were under RiverCenter's purview to work out.

Councilman John Jackson, who also said he was a fan of the Broadwalk, thought it might be better not to give the go-ahead "on the spot" and to discuss the matter.