Downtown Scotch Plains Revamp

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ- Within this small suburban town of Union County, there have been talks to revamp downtown Scotch Plains. Founded in 1684, Scotch Plains covers 9 square miles and is currently home to 23,510 residents. The town is known for its historic Revolutionary War landmarks, diverse people, and strong school systems. The revamp of downtown aims to aid in the growth of the community and create an economic boom for the merchants. Accordingto the Scotch Plains Downtown Redevelopment Committee (SPDRC), the plan is to remodel the town to mirror the likes of Princeton, New Jersey. The call to action took place when the SPDRC found that 86% of people (a survey sent out to the town where 1,290 people participated) believed downtown Scotch Plains needs a new look. Results from the survey also showed that 82% of residents believe that the redevelopment should include things such as retail shops and offices, which will aid in the revitalization of the downtown.

While good in theory, there are still many questions and strategic planning that needs to take place in order for this revamp to be successful. In my opinion, it will be very tough to emulate the likes of Princeton. Towns such as Princeton have a town square, greens, etc. to build around whereas downtown Scotch Plains just has one main road (Park Avenue) that has heavy vehicle traffic, and very little foot traffic. Issues that may arise while going about this revamp include parking, not having the ability to design certain architectural structures because of limited land, and having no place to encourage pedestrian activity, just to name a few. While the vision of the town officials is very exciting, it is imperative to make sure that there is an action plan in place to deal with all those potential risks listed above as well as those not mentioned. If done correctly, I believe that this will be a great thing for the town and its merchants.

Photo (1) by Malaya Sadler on Unsplash

Photo (2) by Matthew Hamilton on Unsplash

Sources:

“Downtown Redevelopment Survey #1.” Scotch Plains Township, NJ, www.scotchplainsnj.gov/departments/downtown-redevelopment-committee/downtown-redevelopment-survey-1-results/.

“History.” Scotch Plains Township, NJ, www.scotchplainsnj.gov/history/.