HASKELL located on the Borough of WANAQUE has a beautiful new "Main Street".
The new attraction on Ringwood Avenue is Haskell Towne Centre, a three-story commercial and office complex that seemed to rise in just one summer where a row of deteriorating storefronts was demolished.
Like many communities in the region including Little Falls and Pompton Lakes, Wanaque is looking to market a distinctive "downtown" look to revitalize the business community and entice locals, commuters and passers-by to stop and shop locally.
The block long building just north of the Doty Road intersection is one of the best things that has happened to Wanaque.
Among tenants already occupying are A&P Wine & Spirits; a Krauszer's convenience store; a Dollar Store; a medical group; a physical therapist; a health club; a nail salon; a dry cleaners; a wedding and portrait photographer; a Dance Studio; Wanaque Jewelry; and Tokyo Restaurant, a sushi bar.
I recently stopped in each of these places to introduce myself and the neighborhood web site that I sponsor just for this wonderful community that I am proud to say I grew up in. All of the local stores, restaurants and businesses are welcome to advertise on their neighborhood web site.
It's amazing what's happened in the past years. Noting that the imposing brick-faced building is on a curve and can be seen for blocks by motorists going north on Ringwood Avenue, which is actually the "Main Street" I referred to earlier. The new Downtown actually has a new feel of energy..."a revitalized pep in each step"!
I spent some time with a Wanaque official yesterday who said that the redevelopment on the South side of Doty Road is in the talking and planning stage right now and the Wanaque Municipal Building will be relocating to 4th Ave in the Haskell section (across from the new 55+ Community, Valley View at Wanaque,currently under construction).
Robert Ferdon, president of the local Chamber of Commerce, said the new commercial center "is an important step in the rebirth of the Haskell business district. ... This is a good sign that the business community has faith in the future of Wanaque and the vision of the borough's leadership."
Several years ago, borough officials began acquiring properties on the block, created a municipal parking lot, and then declared a redevelopment zone for an area that included six commercial buildings and a multifamily house.
Fast facts
* Haskell is a section of Wanaque at the south end of the Passaic County borough.
* Its business district began in the 1800s to serve workers at a blasting-powder plant, bought by E.I. DuPont Co. in 1902. The operation grew into a massive munitions complex during World War I.
* The once-thriving business district began to decline during the Great Depression and eventually was eclipsed by the rise of regional shopping malls in other towns.
FUNDRAISER FOR NEW WANAQUE BOROUGH SIGN is still going on.
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