Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Have A Business Need? NJBAC Can Help.

The NJBAC is offering no-cost technical assistance, training, and problem-solving – we are here to support all of your Business Enhancement needs. Whether you have a one-off resource question, are looking for a strategic assessment of a district, or could use some quick visualized tactical inspiration to foster visible and tangible change, NJBAC can help. Contact NJBAC Executive Director Melanie Willoughby to start the conversation and move towards action.

Today’s email has information on assistance we can provide, as well as about technical and financial resources that may be a fit for your community or district. Please feel free to share this information with other officials, district management stakeholders, and businesses. To see all prior Business Enhancement Connection emails, click here!

Business Enhancement Update

After over 30 years of working to enhance and support communities and managed districts in NJ in a variety of roles, I am retiring from State service. It has been an honor to work with thousands of dedicated residents, business owners, property owners, elected and appointed officials, and a host of partners over that time, helping to increase our state’s quality of life and local economies - business by business and block by block.  In particular, I am grateful for Melanie Willoughby, Executive Director of NJBAC who made the creation of NJBAC’s Business Enhancement Services possible, and for all of those entities and individuals who trusted us to solve their problems and help them reach their goals over the past 2+ years. I have nothing but gratitude for the entire NJBAC Team and its GSD approach and collaborative culture – there has been no finer place I have been able to work. 

There will be a hopefully short transition period starting in mid-July where Business Enhancement Services will be put on hold until the positon is filled with a qualified candidate. At that time those services will resume with a similar level of responsiveness, quality assistance, creativity and passion for elevating NJ’s place, economic, social and civic value that has been our hallmark in our work.

Jef

Now on to this edition’s information:

Best Practices

Smart Growth Strategies for Climate Resilience:  As extreme weather events like floods, wildfires, and rising temperatures continue to impact more and more Americans, including here in New Jersey, “climate havens”—where there’s relatively lower climate risk—may see an influx of new residents, while at-risk areas need to adapt to an increasingly uncertain future. To help guide policymakers, advocates, and community members, this new report by Smart Growth America, Housing for Havens: Smart Growth Strategies for Climate Resilience, provides a blueprint for inclusive and resilient growth. This report draws on real-world case studies and practical policy examples from around the U.S. to equip policymakers, advocates, and community members with the tools they need to create places where all residents can thrive in the face of climate change.

Using Quick-Build Tools to Make a Road Diet Happen:  Broad Street in Providence, Rhode Island (pop. 190,000) has been transformed from a 4-lane higher speed “Stroad” that had the highest accident count and rate in the city into a safe and comfortable place for walkers, bikers, and drivers alike. This effort was achieved without major federal or other external funding and gives us a best practice into how a municipality can make meaningful change happen to increase pedestrian safety and district economic viability. Take a look at this case study to learn some key tips to make this kind of change happen at whatever scale in your community: How To Turn a Deadly Stroad Into a Safe Street: The Broad Street Project.

Featured Grants & Support

Business & Business District Resources for Growth – Edison, July 16: Get financial, mentoring, and technical support for your business (or your district’s businesses) at NJBAC’s Resources for Growth event at Middlesex County College in Edison - Meet one-on-one with representatives from more than 40 exhibitors including state agencies offering resources such as NJBAC, the NJ Small Business Development Center, NJ Economic Development Authority, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Department of the Treasury, Retire Ready NJ, Board of Public Utilities, NJ Department of Environment Protection and more.  While this free event is located in (and supported by) Middlesex County, any business or business district entity in NJ is invited to attend.  Click here for more information and free registration and please share this opportunity within your business communities.

T-Mobile Hometown Grants: The new quarterly application period for the T-Mobile Hometown Grant program is now open through Tuesday, September 30, 2025. This program is exclusively for communities with populations of 50,000 or less and the it provides grants of up to $50,000 to help build stronger, more prosperous towns, often centered around their downtowns.  Apply for funding to support a community project of your choice, like revitalizing or repurposing a historic structure, creating a downtown asset or destination, or improving a space where friends and neighbors gather. Projects that add to a sense of place or could lead to further investment are of particular interest. Click here to go to the online application portal for the application guidelines and to submit for the grant.

Funding for Walkability – Webinar Workshop, July 10:  Walkability in districts and communities is more popular and economically essential than ever, but finding funding to promote and implement it is now more challenging than in recent times. Join America Walks and experts on 7/10 for a conversation about the changing mobility funding environment, with a particular emphasis on non-governmental sources of money and support.  Register for the webinar on July 10^th here.

Grants for Eco-Friendly Building Retroifts: Applicants to the NJ Cool Program can receive up to $1 million to cover 50% of costs for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program managed by the New Jersey Economic Development Corporation (NJEDA) includes eligibility for buildings in over 200 Overburdened and Adjacent Communities (click on the link to see that map of all eligible communities.) Projects can involve updating heating or cooling systems, implementing energy efficiency, or installing renewable energy like solar panels. Projects must replace at least 75% of fossil fuel-based heating systems or high-GWP refrigerants.  Eligible property types include mercantile, commercial, industrial, school, and other public and non-profit property classes. For program questions, email njcool@njeda.gov

NJBAC Can Work With All the Businesses in Your Community

We are here to support your communities’ and districts’ businesses. NJBAC offers free online chat and telephone (800-537-7397) assistance in English and Spanish to any business in NJ – any size, any location, and any type. Businesses can always download the NJBAC Small Business Manual – a one-stop tool for many business concerns – online here. A Spanish version of the manual is also available here. Individual businesses or organizations can order a printed English copy as well by clicking this link or the Spanish version by clicking this link. For bulk orders of up to 25 printed copies in any language, please contact NJBAC’s Tracy Thomas directly.

Our NJBAC team can advocate for businesses, concierge them to funding and technical solutions, help them find locations for growth or developing export markets, guide them to navigating the commercial cannabis sector, and much more. Want to set something up online or on-site for your businesses? Reach out to NJBAC Executive Director Melanie Willoughby to get plugged in to all of our business success services.

NJBAC’s Business Enhancement Services is online:  Now you can refer to Business Enhancement Services directly online with just a click!  Please favorite the website – it will be expanding over time as we add new resources and tools that support municipal and district revitalization and place-based business enhancement.