Mission, Purpose and Initial Efforts - May 16, 2005

In June, 2005 a new public/private partnership was created that brought together the Borough of Fair Lawn’s major commercial property owners and business operators, residents, and organized business districts and
constituencies, the purpose of which is to establish a local economic development corporation to facilitate, coordinate and advocate for the strengthening of Fair Lawn’s economic and commercial vitality.

The primary role of the EDC, a private, non-profit corporation, lies in the advocacy by the EDC in arenas of local impact such as identifying and recommending zoning changes that will stimulate better commercial  design, decrease permit or review waiting times or costs or work more effectively in bringing community members together with potential investors to work together to find common solutions to shared challenges.

The EDC will:

    * work with local commercial property owners, the leadership of the existing River Road SID and that of the proposed Broadway SID and larger developers and corporate institutions in developing materials and strategies to recruit new businesses and investment for the community and improving the mix and quality of goods and services offered within the commercial districts and,

    * work with the planning and zoning boards of the community, in achieving commercial development which adds to the commercial areas attractiveness while preserving, protecting and enhancing Fair Lawn’s residential communities, and

    * seek and accept private grants and county, state and federal funding, and

    * to advance its advocacy role, the EDC would engage staff assistance and professional counsel, enter into contracts and carry-out the mission and programs of the corporation consistent with its by-laws and certificate of incorporation;

    * draw upon resources and materials provided through the county, state and federal economic development tools and strategies, applying those resources at the community level in cooperation with these jurisdictions.

The EDC would, initially, based on the work of its predecessor organization, the Business Leadership Committee and on initiatives undertaken recently in cooperation with New Jersey Transit and at the  direct request of the Council of the Borough of Fair Lawn

    * coordinate and develop a ‘master plan’ for the improvement of the Broadway and Radburn areas in cooperation with NJT and others.

The EDC would also, as resources permit, continue the investigation begun under the auspices of the Borough in examining the use and value and appropriateness of using redevelopment and area in need of  rehabilitation designation in the River Road SID.

The EDC would also serve as forum for community wide discussion and examination of the following subject areas for application and use within the borough:

    * ‘brownfields’ legislation and financing
    *  redevelopment/development legislation and financing
    * the use of zoning to stimulate economic development
    * examination of the future of industrial properties and parks
    * sounding board for future development
    *  visioning, on a borough-wide basis, the future of the borough
    * examining the role of transit, bus and rail