As one of New Jersey's oldest cities, Hackensack faced a common urban problem: How to redevelop a crumbling, inefficient section of town so that several different — often opposing — business interests would be satisfied?

The Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building, located at the corner of Essex Street and Summit Avenue in Hackensack, was developed without cost to the city or its taxpayers. Hudson Street is one of two main street areas in Hackensack undergoing major streetscape improvements. Grants totaling more than $100,000 are funding the Hudson Street facelift.

was stifled by a limited potential for economic growth, frequent traffic jams and a shortage of parking spaces for its small businesses. Adding to the complexity was the presence of the city's

Redevelopment is like a jigsaw puzzle.
As each piece is fitted into place,
the picture becomes more complete.

largest employer, the non-profit Hackensack University Medical Center. One of the largest hospitals in the state, with 7,000 employees, the medical center abutted Essex Street and badly needed room to grow. Bergen County wanted to expand and widen a major thoroughfare in our city, Essex Street, but the Hackensack City Council would not approve the project because we would have had to pay for all the related costs associated with the project. The city was also concerned about the road widening's effect on small existing businesses that occupied several pre-World War II buildings. At the same time, Hackensack University Medical Center needed the city's approval to build a medical office plaza for outpatient services on Essex Street.

Following a process of soliciting redevelopment concepts, the city then sold the property to successful bidder Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, a family-owned and run business that is one of the most successful developers in northern New Jersey. Alfred Sanzari Enterprises is a pioneer in mixed-use real estate, having successfully developed the Glenpointe complex in Teaneck and the Court Plaza Complex in Hackensack.

Hackensack is following the lead of the State
of New Jersey in restoring economic vitality to
decaying areas of the city.

Success for Essex Street Today, four years later, Essex Street is in the process of being widened to four lanes, from Summit Avenue to Polifly Road, a major Bergen County artery that intersects with Routes 17 and 80. The new $20-million, 84,000-square foot Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building sits on Essex Street, across the street from Hackensack University Medical Center . The building features a first level of 18,000 square feet of retail stores and a Fleet Bank branch. The second, third, and fourth floor levels, totaling 66,000 square feet, are leased by the medical center for out-patient services and physicians' offices. The building sits atop 288 indoor parking spaces in two under-ground levels; 73 outside spaces are also available. The old pre-World War II buildings were leveled, with some of their tenants choosing to relocate into the Medical Arts Building at rent offered by Alfred Sanzari Enterprises that was no greater than what they were paying for a minimum five-year period. New retail tenants that moved in include Starbucks, Cafe Policastro, and a Duane Reade drug store.

A traffic nightmare for more than 60 years, the Susquehanna Line train trestle was raised, repaired and refurbished thanks to $5 million in grants from five funding sources.

And the best part? All of this was accomplished without a single cost to the city of Hackensack or its taxpayers. While Hackensack University Medical Center was instrumental in the land purchase, it took a successful entrepreneur with local ties to the Hackensack community to make the project a reality.

"Alfred Sanzari Enterprises invested in Hackensack because my father, our founder, lived here, I grew up here and we wanted to make a commitment to the community," says David Sanzari, president and CEO of Alfred Sanzari Enterprises.

According to Frank C. Pratt, vice president of leasing for Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, when the company took on the project in 2000, the construction industry was slow and the local economy bad.

"But we knew the city and saw that the Essex Street location was important for Hackensack and the future expansion of Hackensack University Medical Center," explains Pratt. The driving forces in Hackensack have been smart in identifying and cultivating local entrepreneurs and developing relationships with them so that they remain committed to the city." As a fitting end to the story of the Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building , it recently received the 44th annual New Good Neighbor" Award from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.

Hackensack Values High-Quality Health Care Bob Garrett, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hackensack University Medical Center , says that the Hackensack City Council has helped the medical center thrive and grow, so that it is now one of the most prominent health care facilities in the New Jersey- New York area.

"Whatever needs we have had over the years, there has been good dialogue and communication between our administration and the Mayor and City Council," says Garrett. We have nurtured a strong relationship over the years and have helped support local initiatives, including outfitting the Police and Fire Departments with vehicles and offering training classes at the medical center."

Hackensack is following the lead of the State of New Jersey in restoring economic vitality to decaying areas of the city. The state, which helps pro- vide funding for urban redevelopment efforts, has made redevelopment of core urban areas the keystone of its state planning and land use policies and its "smart growth" initiatives.

The revitalization of the Hackensack business district will ultimately enhance our property values, strengthen our tenant mix, and create a pleasant and safe environment while bringing recognition back to our community," says Jerome J. Lombardo, owner of the real estate firm of CJ Lombardo & Co., a Main Street main-stay for about 25 years. Lombardo is also chairman of the Board of Directors of the Main Street Business Alliance, a group of business owners, commercial property owners, and liaisons from the Hackensack Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, and the City Council, who govern the Main Street Improvement District.

The SID's programs and services are underwritten by special assessments collected from property owners. Having a SID also makes it easier to apply for state and federal grants for redevelopment. Recent funding in the amount of $260,000 enabled the Main Street Business Alliance to hire Executive Director Leo Pflieger and fund improvements to streetscapes. The alliance envisions using the grant money to have uniform business signs throughout the area and to refresh the sidewalks, garbage cans, landscaping, and streetlights to make Main Street more appealing to shoppers and diners. There is a new enthusiasm being generated on Main Street that will become the catalyst for other redevelopment in the area. Stores are filling up, and we're attracting more shoppers. Musically Yours, a well-established music business moved from Route 17 to Main and Camden Streets and renovated a decaying property.

A free shuttle bus service for people who live and work in Hackensack helps reduce traffic.

Many long-time businesses — such as the Parisian Beauty Academy and Kates Shoes are choosing to stay with us and ride the crest to better times.

Six residential projects are also planned in the two-block radius around Main Street to attract new residents with disposable incomes, a move that echoes Hoboken's successful melding of established neighborhoods with new, trendy stores and restaurants. Currently under construction is an eight-story luxury apartment building with two levels of underground parking at State and Clay Streets Future plans include a five-story luxury complex at Union and Sussex Streets, new condominiums at Clinton Place and Grand Avenue, and another project to replace a house and funeral home on Central Avenue and Union Street.

Utilizing Grant Money For Improvements With an eye toward garnering steady funding sources for the Main Street Improvement District and other projects throughout Hackensack , I have invested in the expertise of grant writer Tiffany Bohlin, president of Muller Bohlin Associates, to secure state and federal grants.

Without sufficient funding, we would not have been able to push forward a number of other redevelopment projects in the city. But having a person whose sole job is to identify and secure grant money for city projects, we have been able to increase this source of funding.

One of the most noteworthy projects — and certainly most visible to city residents — is the renovation of the once-dreaded Susquehanna Line train trestle on River Street, under which thousands of motorists travel each day. A traffic nightmare for about 60 years and the scene of numerous accidents, the trestle was recently repaired, refurbished and raised two feet higher thanks to $5 million in grants from five funding sources that was secured by Ms. Bohlin. The trestle now accommodates large and tall vehicles, which had a tendency to get stuck going under the old trestle. Future plans for the trestle include a drainage improvement and under-ground pumping system to combat flooding that occurs in the River Street area.

Evidence of Hackensack's redevelopment can be found throughout many neighborhoods in the city. A popular Target store opened on land that once housed Packard's, the granddaddy of shopping in the Fairmount section. A new bank will be moving to the corner of Essex Street and Polifly Road. Other projects include:

• completion of the RiverWalk, a path-way extending along the Hackensack River from Johnson Park to Oscine Park, featuring benches, lighting, flowers, trees, and room for walkers and bicyclists
• the $1.3 million Johnson Park Revitalization Project, which includes building a new artificial turf soccer field and a retaining wall to prevent flooding from the nearby Hackensack River
• Hudson Street streetscape improvements, including new trees, benches, curb repairs, business facade refurbishing, and sidewalk resurfacing, to create a vibrant, consistent "look" that will eventually continue all the way to Route 80
• a free shuttle service for people who live and work in Hackensack. The two, 20-passenger buses bring commuters to the train station during peak commuting hours, thereby reducing traffic on roadways. The buses are provided courtesy of New Jersey Transit which shares operation costs
• refurbishing of Foschini Park's turf and pistol range with grant money from the Office of Homeland Security
• a new Bergen County police and public works complex in

  Hackensack Brings a Major Throughfare Back to Life John "Jack" Zisa Mayor, Hackensack As one of New Jersey's oldest cities, Hackensack faced a common urban problem: How to redevelop a crumbling, inefficient section of town so that several different — often opposing — business interests would be satisfied? In Hackensack's case, it was the redevelopment of Essex Street, a major thoroughfare that The Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building, located at the corner of Essex Street and Summit Avenue in Hackensack, was developed without cost to the city or its taxpayers. Hudson Street is one of two main street areas in Hackensack undergoing major streetscape improvements. Grants totaling more than $100,000 are funding the Hudson Street facelift. was stifled by a limited potential for economic growth, frequent traffic jams and a shortage of parking spaces for its small businesses. Adding to the complexity was the presence of the city's Redevelopment is like a jigsaw puzzle. As each piece is fitted into place, the picture becomes more complete. largest employer, the non-profit Hackensack University Medical Center. One of the largest hospitals in the state, with 7,000 employees, the medical center abutted Essex Street and badly needed room to grow. Bergen County wanted to expand and widen a major thoroughfare in our city, Essex Street, but the Hackensack City Council would not approve the project because we would have had to pay for all the related costs associated with the project. The city was also concerned about the road widening's effect on small existing businesses that occupied several pre-World War II buildings. At the same time, Hackensack University Medical Center needed the city's approval to build a medical office plaza for outpatient services on Essex Street. This confluence of diverse needs came together to eventually create one of the most successful and innovative redevelopment projects in Bergen County. Our approach was to take a proactive role and put everyone's needs on the table and then sort out how best to satisfy them. The solution was to have the medical center pay the county for the soft costs associated with the road widening and to also buy four parcels of land on Prospect Avenue and Thompson Street (which abut Essex Street) across from its main campus, which the medical center then donated back to the city. Following a process of soliciting redevelopment concepts, the city then sold the property to successful bidder Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, a family-owned and run business that is one of the most successful developers in northern New Jersey. Alfred Sanzari Enterprises is a pioneer in mixed-use real estate, having successfully developed the Glenpointe complex in Teaneck and the Court Plaza Complex in Hackensack. Hackensack is following the lead of the State of New Jersey in restoring economic vitality to decaying areas of the city. Success for Essex Street Today, four years later, Essex Street is in the process of being widened to four lanes, from Summit Avenue to Polifly Road, a major Bergen County artery that intersects with Routes 17 and 80. The new $20-million, 84,000-square foot Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building sits on Essex Street, across the street from Hackensack University Medical Center . The building features a first level of 18,000 square feet of retail stores and a Fleet Bank branch. The second, third, and fourth floor levels, totaling 66,000 square feet, are leased by the medical center for out-patient services and physicians' offices. The building sits atop 288 indoor parking spaces in two under-ground levels; 73 outside spaces are also available. The old pre-World War II buildings were leveled, with some of their tenants choosing to relocate into the Medical Arts Building at rent offered by Alfred Sanzari Enterprises that was no greater than what they were paying for a minimum five-year period. New retail tenants that moved in include Starbucks, Cafe Policastro, and a Duane Reade drug store. A traffic nightmare for more than 60 years, the Susquehanna Line train trestle was raised, repaired and refurbished thanks to $5 million in grants from five funding sources. And the best part? All of this was accomplished without a single cost to the city of Hackensack or its taxpayers. While Hackensack University Medical Center was instrumental in the land purchase, it took a successful entrepreneur with local ties to the Hackensack community to make the project a reality. "Alfred Sanzari Enterprises invested in Hackensack because my father, our founder, lived here, I grew up here and we wanted to make a commitment to the community," says David Sanzari, president and CEO of Alfred Sanzari Enterprises. According to Frank C. Pratt, vice president of leasing for Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, when the company took on the project in 2000, the construction industry was slow and the local economy bad. "But we knew the city and saw that the Essex Street location was important for Hackensack and the future expansion of Hackensack University Medical Center," explains Pratt. The driving forces in Hackensack have been smart in identifying and cultivating local entrepreneurs and developing relationships with them so that they remain committed to the city." As a fitting end to the story of the Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building , it recently received the 44th annual New Good Neighbor" Award from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. Hackensack Values High-Quality Health Care Bob Garrett, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hackensack University Medical Center , says that the Hackensack City Council has helped the medical center thrive and grow, so that it is now one of the most prominent health care facilities in the New Jersey- New York area. "Whatever needs we have had over the years, there has been good dialogue and communication between our administration and the Mayor and City Council," says Garrett. We have nurtured a strong relationship over the years and have helped support local initiatives, including outfitting the Police and Fire Departments with vehicles and offering training classes at the medical center." Hackensack is following the lead of the State of New Jersey in restoring economic vitality to decaying areas of the city. The state, which helps pro- vide funding for urban redevelopment efforts, has made redevelopment of core urban areas the keystone of its state planning and land use policies and its "smart growth" initiatives. Last year, a special improvement district (SID) was established in Hackensack called the Main Street Business­ ness Alliance. Its goals are to enhance the commercial viability, development, and attractiveness of Main Street by providing coordinated promotion, management, business retention, recruitment, capital improvements and other services to business owners, merchants, and property owners in an area that stretches from Euclid Avenue to Mercer Street. The revitalization of the Hackensack business district will ultimately enhance our property values, strengthen our tenant mix, and create a pleasant and safe environment while bringing recognition back to our community," says Jerome J. Lombardo, owner of the real estate firm of CJ Lombardo & Co., a Main Street main-stay for about 25 years. Lombardo is also chairman of the Board of Directors of the Main Street Business Alliance, a group of business owners, commercial property owners, and liaisons from the Hackensack Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, and the City Council, who govern the Main Street Improvement District. The SID's programs and services are underwritten by special assessments collected from property owners. Having a SID also makes it easier to apply for state and federal grants for redevelopment. Recent funding in the amount of $260,000 enabled the Main Street Business Alliance to hire Executive Director Leo Pflieger and fund improvements to streetscapes. The alliance envisions using the grant money to have uniform business signs throughout the area and to refresh the sidewalks, garbage cans, landscaping, and streetlights to make Main Street more appealing to shoppers and diners. There is a new enthusiasm being generated on Main Street that will become the catalyst for other redevelopment in the area. Stores are filling up, and we're attracting more shoppers. Musically Yours, a well-established music business moved from Route 17 to Main and Camden Streets and renovated a decaying property. A free shuttle bus service for people who live and work in Hackensack helps reduce traffic. Many long-time businesses — such as the Parisian Beauty Academy and Kates Shoes are choosing to stay with us and ride the crest to better times. Six residential projects are also planned in the two-block radius around Main Street to attract new residents with disposable incomes, a move that echoes Hoboken's successful melding of established neighborhoods with new, trendy stores and restaurants. Currently under construction is an eight-story luxury apartment building with two levels of underground parking at State and Clay Streets Future plans include a five-story luxury complex at Union and Sussex Streets, new condominiums at Clinton Place and Grand Avenue, and another project to replace a house and funeral home on Central Avenue and Union Street. Utilizing Grant Money For Improvements With an eye toward garnering steady funding sources for the Main Street Improvement District and other projects throughout Hackensack , I have invested in the expertise of grant writer Tiffany Bohlin, president of Muller Bohlin Associates, to secure state and federal grants. Without sufficient funding, we would not have been able to push forward a number of other redevelopment projects in the city. But having a person whose sole job is to identify and secure grant money for city projects, we have been able to increase this source of funding. One of the most noteworthy projects — and certainly most visible to city residents — is the renovation of the once-dreaded Susquehanna Line train trestle on River Street, under which thousands of motorists travel each day. A traffic nightmare for about 60 years and the scene of numerous accidents, the trestle was recently repaired, refurbished and raised two feet higher thanks to $5 million in grants from five funding sources that was secured by Ms. Bohlin. The trestle now accommodates large and tall vehicles, which had a tendency to get stuck going under the old trestle. Future plans for the trestle include a drainage improvement and under-ground pumping system to combat flooding that occurs in the River Street area. Evidence of Hackensack's redevelopment can be found throughout many neighborhoods in the city. A popular Target store opened on land that once housed Packard's, the granddaddy of shopping in the Fairmount section. A new bank will be moving to the corner of Essex Street and Polifly Road. Other projects include: completion of the RiverWalk, a path-way extending along the Hackensack River from Johnson Park to Oscine Park, featuring benches, lighting, flowers, trees, and room for walkers and bicyclists the $1.3 million Johnson Park Revitalization Project, which includes building a new artificial turf soccer field and a retaining wall to prevent flooding from the nearby Hackensack River Hudson Street streetscape improvements, including new trees, benches, curb repairs, business facade refurbishing, and sidewalk resurfacing, to create a vibrant, consistent "look" that will eventually continue all the way to Route 80 a free shuttle service for people who live and work in Hackensack. The two, 20-passenger buses bring commuters to the train station during peak commuting hours, thereby reducing traffic on roadways. The buses are provided courtesy of New Jersey Transit which shares operation costs refurbishing of Foschini Park's turf and pistol range with grant money from the Office of Homeland Security a new Bergen County police and public works complex in the River Street area Redevelopment is like a jigsaw puzzle with each project resembling a piece of the puzzle. As each piece is fitted into place, the picture becomes more complete. That is what our intentions are in Hackensack — to see that all the pieces fit properly into the puzzle.   Feature Article in December 2004, New Jersey Municipalities