Brick Council OK’s Extension of ‘Empty Storefront’ Program for Another Year

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

The Brick Township council on Tuesday night voted in favor of extending a long-running program aimed at filling empty storefronts in town for another year.

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, pioneered by former Mayor John Ducey, is to encourage businesses to move into spaces that are already vacant rather than build new structures, often clearing trees along the way. Though there have been some detractors who hold that the township should focus on streamlining inspections, officials say the program has been a success, with dozens of businesses having moved into town to take advantage of its benefits.

“Factors like fees, as far as startup costs, will not be a factor on whether to open in town,” said resident Charlie Bacon, suggesting the township focus on speeding up the process of issuing inspections and permits. “Every delay, even a day, has an impact on the bottom line.”

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Councilwoman Heather de Jong, however, countered that the program has attracted more than 40 businesses since its inception. Of the businesses that took advantage of the program, 75 percent remain open today, she added. Businesses have ranged from bakeries, to yoga studios, to florists.

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 pandemic era where it fell to the wayside.

The reauthorization of the program lasts through Dec. 31, 2026.