One of the ways to revitalize a downtown shopping district is to create an aesthetically pleasing environment. Accordingly, the Bayonne Town Center, working closely with the City’s Office of Community Development and the City’s Zoning Officer, has created a broad range of technical assistance and financial incentives that will enable our members and prospective tenants to accomplish that goal.
Getting Started.
If you would like to improve your store’s facade, but do not know how to get started or what it might look like or how much it might cost, you should apply to our Jump Start Program.
Participation in this program is free, though selective. For more information about Jump Start the following PDF is available:
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 Jump Start Program Information
Some Tips For Having A Good Facade
Facades that are attractive and capable of exciting consumer interest in a shop just do not happen, they are usually the result of designs that follow some well-known principles. To find out more about these design principles the following PDF is available:
Principles Behind Good Facades
Design Guidelines
With the help of architect Walter Chatham, we have created design guidelines for the construction or makeover of a storefront. The Bayonne Town Center Guidelines have been approved by City Council and they apply to new and existing businesses. Consequently, the plans for any changes to your store’s facade -- including its signage -- must be reviewed and approved by the Bayonne Town Center’s architect to assure their compliance with our guidelines.
The Bayonne Town Center will then send letters to the Office of Community Development and the City’s Zoning Officer to let them know that your improvement plans are in compliance with our guidelines. Call 201-339-9409 for more information about the guidelines, also avaliable is the following PDF:
Design Guidelines
To Assure Approval Of Your Facade/Sign Design
The PDF below is availble to view a few examples of appropriate facade and sign treatments. If your design follows these examples it will have a high probability of being approved by the Bayonne Town Center’s architect.
Appropriate Treatment Examples
To Assure Rejection Of Your Facade/Sign Design
The PDF below is availble to view examples of inappropriate facade and sign treatments. If your design follows these examples it will have a high probability of being rejected by the Bayonne Town Center’s architect.
Inappropriate Treatment Examples
Financial Incentives
Since re-doing the front of a store can be costly, the Urban Enterprise Zone's facade program assists property and store owners with part of the expense through a grant that's usually 50 percent of the cost, with a maximum of up to $20,000. Several of the stores on Broadway have already benefited from this incentives program, including: Mandee, Foot Locker, Joyce Leslie, and Hispanic American Travel Agency. You will need to contact Dee Dee Bottino in the Urban Enterprise Zone's office, at (201) 858-6357, to get the necessary paperwork for the grant. This must be done before any work starts.
Businesses may use the Bayonne Town Center architect, Margaret Westfield, in which case they will receive up to $18,000 while $2,000 goes to the architect costs. If Margaret Westfield is used for your rendering, your plans will automatically be approved by both the Bayonne Town Center and City of Bayonne.
Please Remember
If you are re-doing your sign or storefront -- whether you are applying for the City’s financial incentives or not -- you will need to follow the design guidelines. You will not be able to receive your permit from the Building Department without the plans being approved by the Bayonne Town Center architect, Walter Chatham.
Contractors And Architects
The Bayonne Town Center works with all contractors and architects. However, you are strongly advised to hire those having a proven understanding of our design guidelines and a record of complying with them.
For
further information or questions, call (201) 339-9409, or
e-mail us at bayonnetwncenter@aol.com.
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