Brick Continues ‘Storefront Initiative’ to Lure New Businesses to Vacant Spaces

Traffic flow near Brick Town Plaza, which houses the busy ShopRite and Kohl’s stores, Dec. 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Brick officials this week voted to extend the township’s “Storefront Revitalization Program” for another year, with the council unanimously supporting the continuation of the initiative that was the brainchild of former Mayor John Ducey.

“The township is encouraging any new business looking to fill any vacant commercial space under 5,000 square feet that has been vacant for one year, to open for business,” said Mayor Lisa Crate.

Under the program, the township waives permit and inspection fees if a business chooses to move into a location that has been vacant for more than a year and is 5,000 square feet or less in area. The goal of the program has always been to encourage businesses to move into spaces that are already vacant rather than build new structures, often clearing trees along the way. Crate said since its inception, more than 30 small businesses have moved to Brick after utilizing the program.

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Brick was the first town in New Jersey to launch such a program in 2015 in response to an outcry from residents about vacancies in the numerous strip malls that dot the township’s major roadways. Ducey floated the idea to officials in Trenton to ensure it was legal to offer such an initiative, and after receiving confirmation that it was, word spread and other towns began offering similar programs. The storefront program in Brick has been renewed each year since it began, with the exception of the Covid-19 period.

The ordinance passed on final reading this week authorizes the program to continue through Dec. 31, 2025.