A number of demographic and economic trends are re-shaping where people in New Jersey live and work, with the suburbs experiencing an outmigration of jobs and population similar to those that cities have experienced.

New Jersey now has a surplus of suburban retail and office parks.

Suburban offices and shopping malls boomed during the 1980s and 1990s, when the supply of cheap land and easy access to highways were a strong attraction. These buildings are now over a quarter-century old and are outmoded and less desirable, and many are sitting empty or are underutilized. Most importantly, the real estate market has shifted, with corporations seeking locations close to transit and that attract a younger talent pool. This urban centric trend is happening nationally, with GE moving from Fairfield, CT to Boston; McDonald’s moving from Oak Brook, IL to Chicago; and Weyerhaeuser moving to Pioneer Square in Seattle from a 430-acre campus outside the city.

Many suburban municipalities that are car-based, have multiple or no town centers and are facing stagnation or even a population exodus.  

Many of New Jersey’s suburban municipalities with no town centers (or multiple small “centers,”) that are car-dependent and largely made up of single-family detached homes, are at risk. These municipalities must strategically plan their land use to attract or keep young residents and employers.

Empty corporate campuses, underutilized malls and shopping centers, and vacant office buildings left behind by the 1980-1990s building boom have become a drain on many New Jersey communities. As a result, these communities are dealing with the loss of tax revenues, the costs of maintaining infrastructure and roads around these properties, and a lack of resources to solve the issues.

Local government entities face hurdles planning the retrofitting, redevelopment, and repurposing of large stranded assets.

The growing need for newer, suburban municipalities to address stranded assets adds to the needs that have existed and, in some cases, continues to exist in older cities and suburbs. To allow New Jersey to better attract economic activity and jobs, the Authority intends to offer grant funding to redevelopment agencies, municipalities, or counties to produce plans for repurposing or removing stranded assets in their communities.

By making this grant funding available to local government entities across the State, the Authority seeks to obtain economic development plans from local communities and regions with solutions and strategies for their stranded assets which may be replicable for other municipalities and regions in New Jersey.

What is the 21st Century Redevelopment Program?

The 21^st Century Redevelopment Program will provide grants of up to $50,000 each to eligible redevelopment agencies, municipalities, or counties to create strategies to redevelop or regreen their stranded assets. In addition to the $50,000 in grant funding, recipients will be offered technical support provided by the Division of Policy, Planning, and Research at NJEDA and the Office of Local Planning Services at New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. These services will be limited in scope depending upon Authority/Department resources and can be defined in coordination with a consultant or professional services firm following grant approval.

Planning proposals may focus on any number of elements, including: