Submitted by Michelle Stavrou
The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association announced its 2018 Great Places honorees and recognized Downtown Cranford as 2018’s “Great Downtown.” The office of Business and Economic Development is thrilled to receive this award from the New Jersey Planning Association and recognizes what an honor this is.
“As someone who is both the Downtown Director and a Cranford resident, I can’t express how honored I am that our exceptional downtown was recognized,” said Downtown Director Gabe Bailer. “We would not have been won this award without the guidance of the DMC Board and previous Director Kathleen Miller Prunty throughout the years. There is a great deal of work that has gone into making sure that downtown Cranford continues to move forward in a way that benefits residents, visitors, and businesses alike.”
DMC Board Chair Anthony Durante stated, “We all know that Downtown Cranford is a special place, but the external recognition is always welcome. Simply put, our downtown is a gem and intrinsically tied to our overall quality of life by attracting and retaining residents, visitors, and overall investment.”
Cranford’s Downtown is also currently in the running as one of the Best Downtowns in North Jersey in a poll being run by NJ.com. With a walkable downtown that offers a number of events throughout the year and provides a variety of unique businesses, services, and restaurants, the downtown area is increasingly being recognized as one of the main reasons people choose to settle in Cranford. We invite you to come downtown and see what all of the buzz is about.
Launched in 2012, Great Places in New Jersey recognizes unique and exemplary downtowns, public spaces, streets and neighborhoods – four essential components of exceptional communities. These places thrive as testaments to forward-thinking planning that promotes community involvement, showcases unique natural features and diverse architectural styles, fosters economic opportunity and inspires a vision for tomorrow.
This year’s award recipients were recognized at a 2018 Great Places in New Jersey Awards Reception on Monday, October 29, 2018 at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.
For more information, please visit Downtown Cranford on Facebook at facebook.com/DowntownCranford, The American Planning Association at facebook.com/AmericanPlanningAssociation, and New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association at facebook.com/njapa.
