Codey, McKeon and Levison open The Avenue

South Orange has won more downtown awards than Lady Gaga at the Grammys, joked Steven Katz, owner of Sterling Properties, as The Avenue was formally opened on October 5. With Governor Richard Codey, Assemblyman John McKeon, and Village Trustee Howard Levison in attendance, Sterling Properties cut the ribbon on the 79-unit development that has become the flagship of Vose Avenue.

Describing The Avenue as the "zenith" of Sterling Properties, principal Wayne Zuckerman invited residents and others in attendance to witness what collaboration between developers, New Jersey Transit, private business and restaurant owners, and the Village of South Orange have produced. "South Orange is a place to come," said Zuckerman.

Katz drew attention to the "burgeoning arts scene" and the growing number of restaurants and boutiques in South Orange. He noted the community's "sense of history and place." The Avenue, now more than 50% leased and occupied, is part of that evolution, he said.

McKeon, too, noted the difference in South Orange between "what was and what is," just a few years in the making. Codey, too, whose remarks on video, lauded The Avenue and what it means for the community.

Representing the Village, Levison read aloud a proclamation, also on video, thanking Sterling for its vision and investment in South Orange.

After the ceremony, lunch was served on the second floor.