Westfield Gets Grant To Bring Holiday Shoppers Downtown

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Downtown Westfield Corporation announced on Nov. 4 that it had been awarded a state grant of $72,530 from the statewide Main Street New Jersey Covid-19 Relief Program, which will boost initiatives for local businesses during the holiday season.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs awarded a total of $1.6 million in Main Street New Jersey Covid-19 Relief Grants to 11 business district management organizations.

The money "will provide comprehensive COVID-19 relief to the downtown commercial district and to the greater Westfield community through a targeted campaign to bring shoppers downtown during the 2020 holiday season," noted the Downtown Westfield Corporation. "Additionally, the grant award will assist the DWC in coordinating a long-term plan to fill any vacancies resulting from COVID-19."

Bob Zuckerman, executive director of the DWC, said, “We are both excited and grateful to receive this grant awar. It will give us the ability to make a real difference for our merchants during the holiday season and for our entire district heading into 2021.”

Zuckerman said it would especially help during the "challenging time for our economy as a result of COVID-19."

The grant will cover the following initiatives over the next two months:

• Launch of a Downtown Ambassador Program to promote holiday season shopping.
• Purchase of 2,000 disposable masks for distribution to the general public.
• Purchase and distribution of 3,000 reusable, branded canvas bags.
• Rent for use of the former Ann Taylor space for a Holiday Downtown Visitors Center.
• Coordination of free delivery services for all downtown merchants through DeliveryNow.com.
• Holiday Season printed gift guides and maps to distribute through ambassadors, select merchants, and at our Visitors Center.
• Beautification of downtown parklets.
• A contract with MJB Consulting to perform a detailed retail market study which the DWC will use to fill vacancies and improve retail mix.

As coronavirus cases throughout the Garden State rise to the highest levels seen since late spring, the state has issued some temporary mandates for businesses, such as telling restaurants they cannot serve food indoors after 10 p.m.

However, they can still serve outdoors and offer pickup and delivery after that time.

Read more about Westfield business news here.

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