2010 DOWNTOWN WEST ORANGE ALLIANCEANNUAL REPORT

EAGLE ROCK

TORY CORNER

ST. MARK’S

THE VALLEY

National Main Street 4 Point Approach to Downtown

Revitalization

• PROMOTION

• ORGANIZATION

• DESIGN

• BUSINESS RETENTION/RECRUITMENT

PROMOTIONS

Promotional events run by the Alliance bring people to Downtown West Orange.

Events are geared toward families of West Orange and are meant to familiarize them with

the downtown businesses and to foster a sense of comfort and pride in their downtown.

PROMOTIONS

6th Annual Downtown West Orange Street Fair

Sunday, May 30th 11pm-5pm

Main Street in front of Town Hall

PROMOTIONS

1st Annual Downtown Blues Festival

Saturday, July 3rd

6:30-9:45pm

Colgate Park

PROMOTIONS20th Annual Downtown Classic 5K Run

“Mayor’s Run/Walk to Break the Silence”

www.walkforovariancancer.com

Sunday, October 3rd 10am

Over 500 walkers/runners registered

Over $70,000 raised for Ovarian Cancer

PROMOTIONS

Farmers Market Friday, July 2nd- Friday October 29th 12-6pm

Parking lot in back of Town Hall

PROMOTIONSDowntown Holiday Open House

December 4th, 2010 Breakfast with Santa at Our Lady of Lourdes

Reading in a Winter Wonderland at the WO Library Crafts with Kids at the Police Sub-Station

Llewellyn Park Tours with Council Members as Tour Guides Pictures with Santa at Supreme Bakery

Old-Fashioned Dickens Carolers in the Valley

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

A business directory was created for downtown West Orange and was disseminated at all of our major events throughout the year.

In 2011, a new, improved business directory will be re-designed and published.

BUSINESS RETENTION

WOvip Discount Program• The number of participating downtown businesses is

32. • We receive at least a dozen calls from residents

asking us to send them a discount card after the Outlook comes out.

• This program has been very successful in keeping the downtown and its businesses in the forefront of the residents minds.

• In 2011 a mailing will go out to all non-participating businesses to get more downtown involvement.

DESIGN COMMITTEE

• The Design Committee’s purpose is to create an attractive, coordinated and

quality image of the downtown by capitalizing on its unique assets and

heritage.

Downtown MaintenanceStrong Partnership with the Department of Public Works

District Banners throughout the Year

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS The Alliance renegotiated their contract with Rileighs Decor and leased new holiday

decorations for the downtown district that include banners and lighted snowflakes. This renegotiated contract will save the Alliance $5,000 a year.

STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS$2.24 million in Federal Funding

Eagle Rock & St. Mark’s sections of Downtown West Orange in Spring of 2011

New Crosswalks & Traffic Signals

Pedestrian Lighting New Sidewalks,

Benches, Trash Receptacles & Planters

Improvements to Parking Lot #4 on Valley Road

New Downtown Wayfinding Parking Signs

FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS Through the Alliance’s own expanded façade grant program, we were able to initiate improvements to 11

downtown businesses in 2010. Businesses and property owners invested $52,000 of their own money

in these improvements with the Downtown Alliance giving out $16,000 in matching grants

BUSINESS RETENTION/RECRUITMENT

COMMITTEE• This committee works to strengthen

existing downtown businesses and, eventually, to recruit additional businesses resulting in an improved retail mix, a stronger tax base and a stable role for the downtown as a major contributor to the community’s economy.

BUSINESS RETENTIONNew Businesses

Ribbon Cuttings

Northfield Bagels Goodfellas Pizza

New Investment in Downtown West Orange!

Egan’s-104 Harrison $98,000

Dunkin Donuts-382-390 Main$263,000

New Investment in Downtown West Orange!

296-298 Main$14,254 Don’s Liquor- 53 Washington St.

$6,000

Business Assistance

Business Owner Meet & GreetsHow Your Business Can Save Energy and Money Using New

Jersey’s Clean Energy Program

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

5:30pm-7:00pm

Due Amici, 450 Main Street

ORGANIZATION

• The Organization Committee worked hard to promote the Downtown West Orange Alliance Main Street Program

throughout the community.

New E-mail Newsletter

A new bi-monthly E-mail newsletter was launched in March, 2009.

In an effort to communicate regularly to businesses, property owners and shoppers in Downtown West Orange, the Downtown West

Orange Alliance launched a monthly e-mail newsletter in March of 2009. This electronic

newsletter provides information on downtown events, new store openings, construction

updates, proposals etc. 

Page 3 in the Outlook

Expanded Use of Social Networking Tools and On-Line

News Outlets

WEBSITE www.downtownwestorange.org

o Redesigned and continually updated o Linked to the township’s official website as well as

other related sites and Downtown businesses like Supreme Bakery and Cecil’s Jazz Club & Restaurant.

o The site explains the Alliance’s work and goals and serves to advertise our events and our projects.

o A new interactive mapping service has been added to help shoppers find their favorite downtown businesses.