New ‘Vision’ Aimed For Cranford’s North Avenue: See Plans

CRANFORD, NJ - Cranford’s North Avenue is slated to undergo a complete makeover, according to a new vision plan that Cranford officials are expected to approve for publication in a request for proposals to developers this week.

Prepared with input from Cranford’s Downtown Management Corporation, a North Avenue Gateway Vision Plan was presented by architectural firm Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects during a March 7 meeting, Cranford officials said in a newsletter statement, including updated style plans for several mixed-use buildings in the area.

The vision plan aims to “embrace the older and historical architecture of Cranford’s commercial downtown,” said principal architect Tom Conelly. “Our vision is for a complex of buildings that would represent a new gateway for Cranford and to serve as an architectural model that works to serve with the town’s existing scale and character that is charged by its residents and visitors alike.”

You can view the vision plan documents here.

“This vision plan is not a specific project proposal,” the township said. “Rather it presents the style, scale and type of project that the Township expects to see for the North Avenue Redevelopment Area.”

The vision plan is slated to be packaged for publication as part of a Request for Proposals on March 21 to be sent to developers, the township said, with responses to the proposal to be reviewed by officials this summer.

Residents are urged to provide feedback on the vision plan by emailing redevelopment@cranfordnj.org. Feedback will be accepted throughout the Request for Proposals process, officials added.

You can view the March 7 Cranford Township meeting below: