Scotch Plains Downtown Revitalization Plan: Town Square, 350 Apartments, Town Hall

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — The Township hosted a packed public information session Monday night to unveil a sweeping downtown revitalization plan developed with Woodmont Properties — a multi-phase, 7-to-10-year project that would replace the current library, town hall, fire department and adjacent surface parking lots with a new town square, mixed-use development, structured parking and a combined municipal building.

"The packed Council chambers, along with many more residents watching on Facebook Live and local cable, reflected just how much this community cares about our future," Mayor Josh Losardo said. "We believe that enthusiasm is well-placed."

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The Town Square

At the center of the proposal is a new Town Square along Park Avenue, designed to complement the existing Alan Augustine Village Green. Losardo described the vision as "flexible seating, shade trees, an interactive fountain, and a flush driveway that closes during events to expand the festival footprint to host farmers markets, live music, movie nights, and Scotch Plains Day for generations to come."

Approximately 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail facing the plaza would be paired with residential units above, with architecture featuring brick detailing, varied rooflines, stoops and porches designed to fit the scale and character of the downtown. Woodmont is also pursuing a liquor license to support a new dining destination.

Three Districts

The plan divides the redevelopment area into three districts, all centered on township-owned parcels and surface parking lots. No private properties would be acquired or negatively impacted.

• District A, on the site of the current Scotch Plains Library on Bartle and Forest avenues and adjacent parking, would include 137 residential units and 251 parking spaces.
• District B, encompassing the current town hall, fire department and adjacent parking, would include 213 residential units and 419 parking spaces, with ground-floor space reserved for public use.
• District C would be reserved entirely for municipal use, featuring a new combined library and town hall fronting Bartle Avenue along with required public parking. "The new building will be completed first and then municipal operations will relocate to the new building," Losardo said. "There will be no need to lease temporary space during this transition, saving taxpayer money."

Across all three districts, all existing public parking stalls will be replaced with structured garages. The plan also proposes complete street improvements including curb extensions, traffic-calming measures and improved pedestrian crossings.

Phasing and Timeline

Construction will begin with a new Public Safety Building on Plainfield Avenue, with a groundbreaking planned for next year. Once complete, the Police, Fire and EMS departments and the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad will relocate there, allowing Woodmont to begin work in District B. Full build-out is estimated at seven to 10 years.

Every district will be built to meet NJDEP updated flood hazard and stormwater standards, with planning projections running through 2100. Losardo said the township heard residents' calls Monday to exceed minimum requirements on green infrastructure. "We take those recommendations very seriously," he said.

What's Next

Separate public information sessions are planned on the project's financials, the Public Safety Building and the new library and town hall in District C.

"Thank you for your engagement, your questions, and your commitment to making Scotch Plains an even more incredible community," Losardo said.

A recording of Monday's meeting and the full PowerPoint presentation are available at scotchplainsnj.gov.

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