Downtown Cranford Vacancy Rate Below 2%

Empty storefronts are difficult to spot in Downtown Cranford, which means the Office of Business & Economic Development is doing something right. Currently, the vacancy rate in Cranford is 1.8 percent, according to the office.

Downtown Cranford has four vacancies, two of them are office spaces, one is a business that is still running, but the owner is looking to retire soon and the other is the only first level storefront currently vacant, Director of the Office of Business & Economic Development Kathleen Prunty said.

The purpose of the office is to promote the downtown district as a great place to have a business, Prunty said. It serves as a step-by-step guide for those opening a business in the Township of Cranford.

She added that the office works hard to keep in touch with businesses that are interested in Cranford, as well as providing resources to current businesses.

Right now, the Office of Business & Economic Development is in touch with six businesses that are looking to open in Cranford. The problem is finding them a space that works for them, Prunty said.

Prunty and Assistant Manager of the Office of Business & Economic Development, Joanne Westcott, have the ability to easily tell where a business should fit in Cranford.

“We don’t just want to stick them anywhere that is available,” Prunty said. “We like to find them a location in and around businesses where they can play off of each other.”

For new businesses, the Office of Business & Economic Development is the first stop they make before entering Cranford. The office helps each business through the entire process from when they decide they are looking for a space in Cranford, to signing their lease and to all the necessary steps along the way.

When a business gets to the point of opening in Cranford, it meets with each department in the township in a group meeting facilitated by the Office of Business & Economic Development.

Prunty said the office aims to conduct these meetings before the business even meets with an architect so that the business knows what to expect and does not have to go back and make as many adjustments to a plan.

Throughout the year, the office will host workshops for businesses. The most recent workshop explained how to market your business using social media.

Due to the all the work that Prunty and Westcott put into the Office of Business & Economic Development, they are also hoping to add another part-time employee to their budget, which will be voted on at the next committee meeting.

About three years ago the Office of Business & Economic Development had an additional position, but once it was vacated, they had not been able to fill it due to a hiring freeze. They are now adjusting the responsibilities of the position to be more up to date with the current times and have the new employee focus more on social media, something that has been taking up a lot of two women’s time.

Some new businesses to look out for in Cranford: Atlantic Beach Soap Co. (now open), Eye Level Learning Center (now open), Urban Burger (from the owners of Italian Pantry Bistro) and Sweetie Frozen Yogurt.

What Cranford business would you like to see featured on Patch?