Westfield Council To Consider Redevelopment Of Rialto Theater

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield Town Council may consider a plan to designate the Rialto Theater as an area in need of redevelopment on Aug. 11. The theater closed suddenly a year ago, and the town sought grants earlier this year to hire a consultant to turn it into a local performing arts center.

The council also can vote next month on designating the Lord and Taylor site and two parking lots owned by the same company, after the Planning Board voted on that and the Rialto designation at a meeting last Monday, according to TAPinto.

In early March, Mayor Shelley Brindle said the town was hoping to have the 7-acre Lord and Taylor property so designated: "My outreach to the owners of the property, Hudson's Bay Company, began shortly after I was sworn in two years ago. The outcome of those conversations has resulted in the process currently underway to designate the local Lord & Taylor properties, which includes their retail location and the two parking lots across North Avenue, as an 'area in need of redevelopment.' I feel very optimistic about the opportunity for collaboration between Hudson's Bay and the town to reimagine the possibilities for the site."

Once the council designates a property as "in need of redevelopment," the town can seek proposals from developers who are willing to work within the town's zoning specifications for the site.

In other recent Westfield business news:

• The town is holding weekly outdoor movie nights. Read more.
• The Downtown Westfield Corporation announced a revised version of "Open Quimby" weekends last week. To get up-to-date list of Quimby Street events and signups each week, click this link.
• Outdoor dining in Westfield opened up on June 15 with new rules. To find out more about outdoor dining in Westfield, click here.

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