DWOA_Leon_July

DOWNTOWN ‘West Orange 66 Main Street West Orange NJ 07052 July 27, 2026" Dr Robert Bagoff, Chairman West Orange Planning Board Township of West Orange Re: PB application No. 25-12 Dear Chairman and Planning Board Members, Please be advised that the Downtown West Orange Alliance (DWOA) has reviewed the submitted application. Last year, we also met with the property owner and their architect to discuss the proposed project. Today, the site holds two shuttered storefronts, and we are especially excited to see that the developer has chosen architectural plans featuring a uniquely designed building. This kind of thoughtful investment is exactly what we have been encouraging along the corridor. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) identifies the Orange/West Orange/Montclair area as a Food Desert Community. Even more importantly, a full-service grocery store serves as an anchor use that can support continued growth, investment, and economic activity throughout the downtown corridor. One study summary reports that grocery stores are associated with a 5% to 7% increase in nearby residential home values. Grocery stores have also been well documented to spur economic activity in communities. Research by the Reinvestment Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution whose supermarket-impact studies have been produced for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as well as research by The Food Trust and PolicyLink, has found that grocery stores can function as economic anchors for commercial corridors by generating steady, seven-day-a-week foot traffic, attracting complementary businesses such as restaurants and services, and creating local jobs. This anchor effect is exactly what this stretch of Main Street needs. Recent community feedback also demonstrates strong demand for additional businesses and destinations in Downtown West Orange. The Transformation Strategy recently completed in partnership with Main Street America found that 67% of survey respondents, most of whom were Township residents, identified the lack of businesses and destinations as the number one issue facing our downtown. Grocery stores were also among the most requested new business types identified by respondents. pg.1