Students to present revitalization ideas
Public's input sought on what J'burg could look like some day
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

For months, a team of graduate students from Rutgers University has been studying Jamesburg to see how it can be revitalized.

Next week, the general public will have the chance to see what the students have come up with in what the Jamesburg Revitalization Coalition is billing as the most important meeting yet in the effort to improve downtown Jamesburg.

The students, from Rutgers' Bloustein School of Public Planning and Policy, will host the meeting, to be held at 7 p.m. March 15 at the Grace M. Breckwedel School on Augusta Street.

The students will make a presentation, and those in attendance will have a chance to ask questions, offer input and give their opinions on various aspects of the revitalization effort, which is designed to bring more business into the borough and spruce up the downtown area.

Elliott Stroul, president of the Jamesburg Revitalization Coalition, said attendees will be shown a number of images and rate them on a scale of one through 10. For example, they may be asked how they feel about an image of a two-story building with an apartment on top as opposed to a six-story building, Stroul said.

"People will give us an idea of where to go," Stroul said.

The architectural students, who are receiving college credits for their work, have been researching Jamesburg and speaking with residents, business owners and elected officials. The group has created visuals of what a revitalized Jamesburg might look like and how that can be achieved. Their findings will be shown in a computerized fashion.

The meeting "is designed to be fun, enrolling and exciting ... a giant step forward for Jamesburg becoming a thriving town center, strengthening its residential and commercial property values, and providing more services to the area," according to a press release distributed by the Jamesburg Revitalization Coalition.

Councilman John Longo, who represents the governing body on the Revitalization Coalition, said the goal is to create a downtown area, from East and West Railroad avenues up through Buckalew Avenue, that gives people a place to eat, shop and stay. The whole area is within walking distance of most Jamesburg residents.

Longo said the borough is already designed so that people can walk to the center of town from anywhere with use of a sidewalk on at least one side of each street they take.

"All of our K-8 kids are walkers," he noted.

The coalition also wants to improve the aesthetics of the area with more lighting, and hopes to see more businesses to stay open past 6 p.m. at least one night a week.

Organizers would like to bring more restaurants and cafes to Jamesburg, along with boutique stores and more service-oriented businesses, Longo said.

Stroul pointed out that many towns in New Jersey have undergone similar transformations.

He noted that those pushing for the improvements are, like himself, "stakeholders" in the town. They own residential property or a business, and would like to see the town become more of a destination for pedestrians. They would like to see more drivers stop and visit the businesses.

"What can we do to get these people to stop and spend money?" is the question facing the revitalization project, he said.

Jamesburg is missing out on a large market, he noted.

"Why are senior citizen buses not stopping here?" he asked, for example.

"We've decided to improve our viability as a business destination," he said.

Longo said the goal is also to get people out of the malls and into the streets, "walking and enjoying the fresh air."

The end result will not be achieved overnight. The project is considered a three- to five-year, maybe even a 10-year program.

With eventual plans to turn some of the old, large homes into businesses, such as a restaurant or office, the borough or a developer may look to acquire certain sites. Longo did not rule out the use of eminent domain if needed in a certain instance, although he said it is frowned upon by borough officials.

"We're not into eminent domain at this point," he said. "That could change, but I doubt it. We want more of a friendly acquisition."

There is also a desire, Longo said, to keep with the small town feel of Jamesburg.

"Even the architecture and signage has to look as the community currently exists," he said.