At 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, JGSC Group LLC will hold a presentation to discuss the possibility of a downtown improvement district in Tenafly.
The purpose would be to make improvements to the downtown business district including parking, safety and the revitalization of sidewalks and buildings.
Councilman Michael Lattif explained that two members of the JGSC Group LLC interviewed 20-25 businesses and asked them a series of questions. The result of those interviews returned a report that identified common views among the business community as well as individual comments to improve the downtown area.
Those results, which he referred to as opportunities, were categorized and made into a prioritized list of initiatives to address the most common opportunities made by the interviewees.
The Steering Committee then narrowed down those down to a manageable list of initiatives, which is what will be presented next week.
After the presentation, Lattif said the governing body would need to deliberate whether or not it would propose an improvement district.
Latiff said the results of an improvement district would not be long-term and the community should not expect to see visible results for a few years.
"The main goal is to create an economically healthy, sustaining business community," he said.
He feels that this will be one of the most important decisions that could have a positive impact on the community of Tenafly.
"I hope the public will attend," he said. "It’s important for their elected officials to hear their views and thoughts on the issue."
E-mail: Andrews@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6723
