Fanwood’s redevelopment consultant Liz Jeffrey and more than a dozen local business owners met for the year’s final Fanwood Business Roundtable on Thursday evening at the Fanwood Grille (34 S. Martine Ave.) to plan for upcoming events that will drive foot traffic to local establishments.
“We plan on enhancing Fanwood’s events for 2018, such as Ladies Night in May, the Fan Jam Music and Food Truck Festival during the summer, Fanny Wood Day in the Fall, and Small Business Saturday (Thanksgiving weekend),” Jeffery said. “The Borough will also host a grand opening of the pedestrian plaza behind the Martine Avenue shops.”
The group also discussed the possibility of creating a “Fanwood Downtown Day” that would be specifically geared to promoting local retailers and food establishments, rather than the outside vendors who attend street festivals.
The Fanwood Business Roundtable meets bi-monthly on the last Wednesday of the month at a local Fanwood business. Among the attendees were representatives from Family Investors, Fanwood Eyecare, Fanwood Grille, Goddard School, Hospitality 10 Card, Ivy Education, Lightbridge Academy, Nick’s Pizza, Rocko’s Ice Cream, Scarlett Marketing, Sheelen’s Crossing, and Two Rivers Bank.
“Its purpose is to extend the Borough’s support to local businesses and provide a forum for collaboration,” Jeffery explained. “We have new blood, new energy. It’s going to be so great.”
Part of the vision for 2018 is to present programming and events that will make the pedestrian plaza a hub for the community.
“When we redeveloped the area near the train station, having a public plaza was always part of the plan,” said Mayor Colleen Mahr. “We never lost sight of having that public space downtown. With the recent completion of the new pedestrian walkway behind the Martine Ave. retailers, the vision is completed.”
“The exciting part will be the programming (when the weather gets nicer),” the mayor added. “Now we can do special invents that incorporate our local businesses and our talented artists and musicians, and also create pop-up events. The sky is the limit. That’s my vision for 2018.”
