A picture is worth 5000 words!

Click here to see the Caldwell Downtown Beautification Dinner Photos

Your Avenue to a Vibrant Downtown

We all choose to live, dine, shop, do business, or worship in Caldwell for good reason – it’s a pretty special place.  We’re a village rich in history with a strong sense of community and pride.   Whether Caldwell is your home or your destination, this is your downtown, your “Main Street”.

But like many downtowns across the country, time is taking its toll on our charm and on our vitality.  Our age spots are starting to show through as peeling curbs and lampposts, dead and missing street trees, worn or dirty storefronts, and cigarette butts and graffiti around our bus stops.  As traffic increases and cars fail to make way for pedestrians, it makes it harder to cross the street and enjoy another shop. Some of our local businesses are struggling or closing, forcing us out of town for the amenities we want.

You can make a difference.  

It’s easy to complain and expect someone else to turn things around. But the truth is that no single entity – government, nonprofit, civic or religious organization, or other – can do this alone.  Case studies of successful revitalization efforts reach a common conclusion - it takes a community.  And with a community like Caldwell and our neighbors, it can be done.

With this absolute belief, the Caldwell Downtown Alliance launched “Project Main Street” earlier this year.  This completely volunteer, non-profit and non-governmental initiative is working to restore Caldwell’s cultural and economic vitality collaboratively through public and private partnerships. Project Main Street volunteers are your neighbors, your shopkeepers, and people like you who want to make a difference but aren’t sure how. Join us! Project Main Street is your avenue to a vibrant downtown.

While we’ll continue to work to bring you the Caldwell Farmer’s Market and wonderful community events like Winterland,  Project Main Street volunteers are rolling up our sleeves on many new efforts.  We’re raising money now to buy hanging flower baskets for our lampposts and implement other streetscape improvements beginning this summer. We’ve been working on signage guidelines and researching successful historic preservation efforts.  We’ve presented the NJ Complete Streets Program, a multi-faceted approach to a pedestrian friendly downtown, to our Mayor & Council for their consideration.  We’ve been actively involved in the plans to transform the borough green into a more usable space. We’re in the process of building a team to focus on attracting the right mix of businesses, cultural venues and the arts to Caldwell. And we’ve only just begun!

This August, Project Main Street will be sponsoring a “Caldwell Beautification Weekend” and we’d love to have you, your organization, business, house of worship, or school class join us! Help us build this effort from the ground up by sharing your ideas through one of our local papers, on our Project Main Street facebook page, on our blog: projectmainst.blogspot.com, by email ProjectMainSt@gmail.com or by calling 973-228-8900.  Help turn those ideas into reality by volunteering or rallying a team to take on a project.  Sponsor the event or donate supplies. Merchants and landlords - plan some improvements or host special events for that weekend. Together, we can make a difference!

Project Main Street… YOUR avenue to a vibrant downtown!

Tickets are still available for Project Main Street’s “Caldwell Beautification Dinner” on May 23 at Luce.  Treat yourself to a wonderful meal, fine wine, and great entertainment with your tax deductable contribution to this effort. 50/50 tickets will be available through May 22 at many downtown businesses, including: Saplings, Caldwell Flowerland, Rock n Joe, Smith & Co., D. Marie Home, David Chad Beauty Parlor, Bari's Baubles, Somewhere in Time, Fruit Basket King, Glow Salon, The Beauty Source, Minuteman Press, Coldwell Banker, Vila Meat, Caldwell Seafood and Luce Restaurant.

The Case of the Missing Clock

On the corner of Bloomfield and Smull Avenues sits one of the architectural gems of downtown Caldwell. The present day Wachovia Bank building was constructed as "The Citizen's National Bank" in 1915, and was later expanded in 1926. This historic building is part of the identity of downtown Caldwell and is featured prominently in the mural (first and second images) that decorates the Caldwell Borough Council Chambers.

This building is remarkable for a number of reasons. Although the interior has been altered over the years, it remains the most spectacular and well preserved interior space in all of downtown Caldwell. Harking back to a time period when banks built stately edifices to convince a skeptical public of the stability of the banking industry and the security of their deposits, this incredible interior features two rows of imposing marble columns and an amazing stain glass ceiling.

Unfortunately, one of the most remarkable exterior features of this historic building is conspicuously absent. The ornate limestone clock that once graced the original front entrance has been apparently covered up for years, in it's place sits an awkward and unsightly concrete box (third and fourth images) that gives no clue to the architectural heritage that it crudely masks. It is reasonable to assume that the clock was covered up because it was in disrepair and was a expensive proposition to repair at the time.

About two months ago I walked past the missing clock and into the Wachovia Bank with the idea of convincing the bank to uncover and restore the missing clock. I explained to Michael Ricca, branch manager,  that I was sure there was a magnificent clock hidden beneath the the concrete box, and that uncovering it would be great thing for the bank to do for the community to help kick start the historic preservation efforts already underway. Not only was he receptive to the idea of uncovering the clock, he felt so strongly about the importance of Project Main Street's mission, that he voluntarily sponsored our application for a community grant through Wachovia Bank.



 Hopefully, one day soon, as you are sitting at the traffic light on the corner of Smull and Bloomfield Avenues, by chance you might glance out the car window and get a glimpse of a very special clock and realize what a rich architectural history we have here in Caldwell. If and when that day comes, we should all stop in and thank Michael Ricca and Wachovia Bank for caring about our community and helping to preserve our architectural heritage.

Livermore, CA-Great American Main Street Award Winner

This video has some wonder ideas that we could apply to Caldwell's downtown.

Just 43 miles east of San Francisco, Livermore, California--in the heart of wine country--has become a destination in its own right. The slogan for Downtown Livermore: Live, Shop, Play, and Dine rings true as it boasts having 119 shops, 51 restaurants, and 20 arts and entertainment venues. Exciting annual festivals and regular events make visiting and living in Livermore a truly enjoyable experience. Tuesday Tunes starts the summer with free concerts in the plaza. The weekly farmers market brings family-friendly entertainment downtown, and the turnout is always strong for Thirsty Thursday—a monthly wine tasting that features local vineyards. More than 150,000 flock to downtown for the two-day Livermore Wine Country Festival, a celebration of all things local, from crafts to wine to olive oil.

Enter Main Street:

Tuesday's Tunes bring the community together in the fresh air to enjoy live music downtown in a family-friendly setting.

Credit: Livermore Downtown, Inc.

The pulse of downtown Livermore has not also been so strong, however. When Livermore Downtown, Inc., the local Main Street revitalization program, was formed in 1986, the historic business district was sagging. The stifling effects of suburban sprawl and a busy, four-lane highway that channeled speeding cars through downtown had taken a toll. The city recognized that this roadway was a detriment to foot traffic and an obstacle to revitalization. A $12.5 million roadway and public spaces improvements project transformed the highway into a moderate two-lane road that is lushly landscaped. A public plaza and space for outdoor dining further invites the community to park the car, enjoy the sights and stay for awhile.

Evidence of Livermore Downtown, Inc.'s revitalization success is plentiful. Special events, merchant promotions and volunteer participation have helped create a buzz downtown that thrives on the city's beauty, its agricultural heritage and rich wine-making tradition. Its eclectic selection of restaurants and retail shops keep residents and visitors alike interested on a year-round basis.

Caldwell Needs Complete Streets!

Decades of Auto Centric Planning is Slowly Killing Downtown Caldwell-It's time to choose!

Click Poster to Enlarge

The presentation below is in response to Essex County's planned expansion of Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell. The plan calls for a new signal at the Westville Avenue and Roseland Avenue intersection. We support this idea. However, Project Main Street believes that some of the changes being made are extremely detrimental to the economic and social fabric of downtown Caldwell. The proposed expansion of Bloomfield Avenue between Personette Street and Forest Avenue to five lanes and the elimination of 16 parking spaces, continues the outdated auto centric policies of the past.


We have an alternative vision of Caldwell that we shared with Mayor, Council, and Essex County Department of Public Works officials. The atmosphere was extremely positive and we were encouraged by the thoughtful questions asked by the Mayor and Council. The future of Caldwell is our hands. Do we add a lane of speeding traffic and lose 16 parking spaces in the process, or do we envision downtown Caldwell as a vibrant village, the heart of our community, a place we call home?


On Tuesday, March 23rd we made the following presentation on behalf of the citizens of Caldwell.

Please click on this link to view presentation

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AVIjNq1jjeI6ZGZicmh6MmNfMzJkbjY4M21meg&hl=en




For more information please read the "Complete Streets" handout by clicking on the link below.

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B1IjNq1jjeI6YzlkZmRhNzgtZWU5Zi00ZDhjLWEwODAtM2ZiMTVhNDZlNTMy&hl=en

Creating a Pedestrian Friendly Downtown Caldwell

We live in a auto centric society and this paradigm is destroying the social and economic fabric of small towns across America. We face this same threat in Caldwell today. Our vision of Caldwell as a pedestrain friendly center of community where people stroll downtown to shop, eat, and socialize is under attack by an archaic mindset that favors moving traffic through town as efficienty as possible at the expense of the vision of Caldwell as a village. Bloomfield Avenue is not Route 46. Caldwell residents are not concerned about the convience of poeple who are traveling through our downtown in order to get to work ten minutes quicker. We need a paradigm shift. Morristown for example has many mid block crosswalks that are clearly marked and the result is that a mother with two small children in tow, can cross the street in many places without the fear of being mowed down.
The images above were taken on South Street in Morristown. Notice, in the top image, how three cars stopped to let the pedestrian cross. I stopped to ask a policeman why and how Morristown set up all these mid-block cross walks. He told me,"it's important to the town to make Morristown pedestrian friendly, otherwise no one would come downtown", he continued, "and we give out tickets to drivers who violate a pedestrians right of way and it's a three point ticket at that, eventually people catch on". I was also informed that "there is a state grant available to pay police overtime to enforce compliance in the area of pedestrian safety." So, the next time you are trying to cross Bloomfield Avenue, imagine what our wonderful town could become with just a few small changes. Do we want to live in a village or on a highway? It's not about cars, it's about people.

Ridgewood is another successful downtown that has made many changes in order to maintain the small town character that is so important to residents. At Ridgewood High School the students produced a video entitled " Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25"

Just a modest decrease in motor vehicle speed can mean

a dramatic increase in survival rates in pedestrian-vehicle

crashes. For pedestrians, even drivers traveling beneath

the legal speed limit can present a lethal threat. If a

pedestrian is hit by a vehicle that is traveling 20 mph, the

pedestrian survival rate is 95 percent. This drops to 60

percent at 30 mph, and just 20 percent at 40 mph.

Research shows that wide, straight roads and long sight

distance encourage higher travel speeds and therefore

lead to increased fatalities and injuries. Yet traffic

engineering models tend to favor fast-moving roadways

over slower ones

Designing for Safe Streets

Narrower streets, street tress and mature tree canopy, on-street parking, buildings located close to

the sidewalk, raised crosswalks, and reducing the number and width of lanes can reduce traffic

speeds, and thus reduce crash rates and traffic fatalities. To improve the pedestrian environment,

many cities have embraced these design principles-americawalks.org

http://www.americawalks.org/

Conversations on The Green-Anna Young's Report, Finding The Vision

Please read Landscape Architect Anna Young's report on how to approach the creation of a vision for our Green and Library expansion. For further reading please refer to other "Conversations on The Green" posts. Your comments are welcome and your feedback is essential.

Click below to read Anna's report

Finding the Vision-by Anna Young, LLC, CLA, Senior Landscape Architect at Dewberry

Conversations on The Green- The Library- Imagine the Possibilities!

"Imagine, for instance, a park bordered on one side by a commercial street and on another by a public library. These urban elements work together to form a single place, yet in a typical downtown that area would likely be managed by a number of public entities. Instead of a unified approach to the place, several different city agencies employ a piecemeal approach, each operating within the boundaries of its professional discipline.

But if we look upon these elements as interrelated components of a single place, we create more opportunities for local people and different public entities to jointly create a vision of what's best for the downtown. How can the street, park, library, and businesses support and strengthen each other? What do business owners, library employees, and residents envision for the area? By actively observing and listening to the people who live or work or play in the area, the answers to what the place needs will become apparent."- Project for Public Spaces

"Imagine that same square situated next to a public library: the doors open right unto the square; people sit outside and read on the steps; maybe the children's reading room has a outdoor space right on the square"- Project for Public Spaces

"Parks and libraries are natural partners. Both represent "the commons." They are our public space and we hold them together, and they're our collective responsibility. They're part of the underlying urban infrastructure- as important as the bridges and the roads and the housing. They promote civic participation; they foster local identity, and they both offer recreational, educational and social engagement opportunities."- Diantha D. Schull, Executive Director, Libraries for the Future

Conversations on The Green: The Caldwell Green has not fulfilled its potential.

This is the first of many posts that will explore the intriguing past and promising future of our Town Green. A few weeks ago, Anna Young, the chief landscape architect of The Morristown Green Renovation, was kind enough to give an informational presentation to The Green Committee, The Caldwell Library, Mayor Gartland, and council members Ann Dassing and Joe Norton.


The following is from Anna Young's presentation: (the images on the left are the Caldwell Green and the images on the right are the Morristown Green)

The Caldwell Green has not fulfilled its potential. Today it is just the shoulder of a busy county road and the border of a parking garage. Improvements can make it a community space that is integrated with the library, proudly embraces its history, and provides a place of respite from our busy lives.

Improvements to the Green should replace this view into the belly of the garage with human scale features. We need to capitalize on the adjacent Community Center and parking as an asset to the Green rather than a liability. Thoughtful placement of seating and reconfigured park space can create an irresistible place to sit.

Improvements to the Green should be designed to bring back Caldwell’s rich history and set the stage for community celebrations.

Carefully placed walkways create an experience while linking destinations.

Join the Conversation!

Give us your thoughts on how to make downtown Caldwell a better place.

Our Downtown - For Today and for Tomorrow

Memorial Day Parade, Caldwell NJ

Welcome friends and neighbors! Something exciting is happening in Caldwell that will benefit all of us in town and in our surrounding communities!

Project Main Street is a nonprofit, non-governmental, community volunteer organization. We’ll be working to preserve our heritage while building the future of our downtown through historic preservation, beautification, green space, and pedestrian friendly projects. We’ll be hosting community events and forming partnerships that will establish a true “center of community” – a destination for our neighbors and new businesses alike.

We’d love you, your family members and friends to join us and have a true voice – by sharing your vision, ideas and opinions on this new blog, by keeping up to date on events and initiatives by becoming a fan on Facebook, or by volunteering your time or talent to one of our committees. Together we will build the future of our downtown by choice, not by chance.

Help us make a difference by joining the conversation or volunteering. Here’s how:

1) Become a fan of Project Main Street on Facebook to keep up to date and add your thoughts. Just click on the Facebook icon at the bottom of the blog to connect.

2) Become a public follower of this blog to share your ideas and opinions:

- On the bottom right of the page, click the “follow” button

- A box will open, prompting you to log in using your account (or create one free)

- Promote the site, inviting your contacts to become followers. Once you’ve become a follower, another box will open prompting you to add email addresses to invite others to join

3) Comment on blog posts and encourage others to do so. Interaction is important. Consider this YOUR blog.

- At the end of a post, click the word “comment”

- Type your comment. Click “preview” to proofread. Click “post comment” to submit

- Bookmark the site. Visit often. Read the posts and people’s comments. Engage in an on-line dialogue on the topic and comments.

4) Become a volunteer for a project or a committee. Email projectmainst@gmail.com.

5) Please forward this  to others in The Caldwells and our neighboring towns!

What changes would you like to see in downtown Caldwell over the next few years? Please comment below!

Thank you for your support!