Nancy Adams RED BANK- After two meetings with west side business owners, Red Bank River- Center has approved a budget that reflects the needs of those businesses in the expanded district.

The meetings with business and property owners on the west side of the Special Improvement District (SID) were held in late February to discuss issues of concern and to inform businesses about the downtown alliance that oversees the borough's business district aswell, according to River- Center Executive Director Nancy Adams.

After listening to the business owners' concerns, projects that are going to be expanded this spring include the horticulture program, which includes identifying locations where flowerpots could go, as well as the sidewalkmaintenance program, according to a RiverCenter press release.

This year's $624,052 RiverCenter budget also reflects an increase of $4,000 to $10,000 for horticulture projects and an increase of $3,000 to $34,000 for sidewalk maintenance. In general, the total budget increased by about $20,000.

"RiverCenterwants the businesses to remember that they need to call on us when issues arise, so that we can assist in solving problems in a timely manner," Adams said in a press release. "The businesses are our eyes and ears on the street, and hearing from them what's happening determines where a large part of our focus should be."

She said some of the issues that were discussed at themeetings included parking, graffiti, litter issues, street trees, façade improvements, issues with NJ Transit, signage, loitering problems and wanting more foot traffic.

"The problems with the train station deal with commuters who get off the train and there is no bathroom, so they just go to the businesses and use the restrooms," Adams said.

She said parking issues include the fact that because of poor signage, very few people know that there is free parking at NJ Transit station after 11 a.m. daily and all day on the weekends.

"We're going to be doing a litter cleanup just aswe have been, onlywe are improving that service this year to recognize the expanded district," Adams said. "Any events we runwill be included in the expanded district as well."

The Red Bank Borough Council approved expansion of the Special Improvement District (SID) to areas of the west side commercial district in February 2007.

The SID is the area of the borough's downtown managed by RiverCenter, which was created in 1991 to revitalize a thendwindling commercial district.

The ordinance expanded RiverCenter's district down Monmouth Street, west of MapleAvenue and along BridgeAvenue and Chestnut Street.

All businesses included in the SID pay an additional tax for the services River- Center provides. The amount each business pays is based on the assessed value of the property.

Although there are 150 business and property owners included in the expanded district, the turnout at the two meetings was substantially less than that number, with about 30 people combined attending both meetings.

In total, there are about 500 business and property owners in the SID.

Although she was unsuccessful, Adams said she made a point of going to the Spanish speaking business owners with an interpreter to alert them of the meetings taking place and to get their input for improvements in the new district.

"Part of it is a language thing and part of it is a cultural thing," saidAdams of the lack of Spanish-speaking business owners at the meetings. "We are hoping to get the Spanish community involved in the business district as much as the English-speaking businesses are."

One line item in the 2008 RiverCenter budget directed specifically toward the expanded district includes the newly reinstated Visual Improvement Committee, or façade grants, in the amount of $12,000.

"They are small [matching] grants intended for smaller businesses to improve their storefronts,whether it's for awnings or signage or new glass," Adams said.

She said the guidelines for the grants have not yet been set but are a direct result of the concerns raised at the expanded district meetings, where business owners asked for façade improvements and stressed the need for grants.

The administrative budget of $232,580 calls for a $23,000 increase from last year.

The increasewas primarily driven by the hiring of a programmanager to work on the marketing, planning and coordinating of RiverCenter events, Adams said.

She said longtimeDirector ofOperations Harriet Cook went from working full time to part time, so the addition of a new staff member was necessary.

Another large increase in the budget included the doubling of the amount of the budget devoted to advertising.

"We increased our advertising from $9,000 to $18,000 because we had been hearing very strongly from the business community that we need to market Red Bank to getmore people here,"Adams said.

She said RiverCenter is currently working with the Red Bank Visitors' Center and the Shore Region Tourism Council to promote Red Bank to locals as well as to out-oftowners.

"[Red Bank] businesses have seen a drop, just like the whole country has, in foot traffic and spending by consumers,"Adams said. "It is something that needs to be pumped up, and [requires] just getting the name of Red Bank out, so people think of it as a destination and people know of it. It requires constant information to be put out."

One new event coming to Red Bank is called "Spring Into Red Bank" and will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 26 in the SID.

Participating businesses will be having specials showing the newest in food, fashion and gifts for spring,Adams said.

Adams also spoke about new stores coming toRedBank at a timewhen empty storefronts appear to be popping up more frequently.

She said an organic clothing store called Nibus is coming to 41 Broad St., as well as the much-buzzed-about Marc Ecko coming to 9 Broad St.

She said she is working to get a French upscale furniture store to move in next to Tiffany's, but would not reveal the name.

"A lot of things go into what would work [at a location]," saidAdams of the decision to bring a certain store to Red Bank.

She said one factor is that a new store should complement the already existing businesses.

"[For] a Broad Street vacancy we might look for something different than for a Bridge Avenue or Monmouth Street storefront," said Adams. "We want to keep a different feel for each [area]."

She said RiverCenter looks for a mix of price points, store sizes and different services to bring to the community.

"We do what we can to help guide, find, locate and help a landlord lease to a good tenant," said Adams of RiverCenter's hand in the tenancy process.

She said in the end it is up to the landlord to decide who to lease space to.

For more information on RiverCenter and upcoming events, visit the Web site at www. RedBankRiverCenter.org or call (732) 842-4244.

Although she experienced a minimal turnout at the last two west side meetings, Adams said she hopes to conductmoremeetings with those business owners to cater to their needs.