News

Thanks to a partnership with Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, the Bloomfield Center Alliance (BCA) has begun the process of coordinating the installation of fifty newly designed colorful pedestrian pole banners within the town's main commercial district.  These banners will be located along key corridors of Bloomfield Center, including Broad Street, Glenwood Avenue, Washington Street and portions of Bloomfield Avenue.  The two-sided banner, which includes the BCA name and logo, displays an image of a downtown scene and the phrase "Your Town, Home Town."  This is just the latest collaboration between the two entities working together to improve Bloomfield Center.   BCA Director Ollyn Lettman comments, "We are grateful to have a partner in Bloomfield College of Montclair State University interested in helping us enhance the look and feel of the area.  We hope that local residents and out of town visitors will see these banners and other recent enhancements such as planters and flower baskets as a sign of the continuing transformation taking place in our downtown."  In the winter of 2022, the two organizations converted a then vacant downtown storefront at 625 Bloomfield Avenue into a pop-up art gallery displaying works by several of the college’s art students.

"The work of our faculty and alumni in designing these pole banners is indicative of the symbiotic relationship that Bloomfield College of Montclair State University has with the Bloomfield Center Alliance and township overall," said Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr.  Michael A.  Palladino.  "We look forward to the full implementation of the banners throughout the downtown district and to future collaborations like this where everyone involved benefits from the positive engagement that represents our ongoing town-gown relationship." 

Speaking on the impact of this project,  Councilwoman Sara Cruz, who joined the BCA Board this year said, "I am excited to be a part of this organization that seeks out viable collaborations to help address important issues affecting our Bloomfield Center community.  Like the new banners, there have been several aesthetic enhancements that keep the neighborhood inviting. There are more things to come that will attract people to all the great businesses in the Center."

The design is thanks to Professor Yuichiro Nishizawa, who serves as Chair of the Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Division of Creative Arts and Technology.  He says, "It is a joy to see these banners. This collaborative effort is truly born out of our strong and persistent mutual interest in community building and developing projects that showcase the vibrancy of our institution as well as the vision and talents of our students! I am grateful for the partnership with the Bloomfield Center Alliance and look forward to future projects."  Assisting Professor Nishizawa on the initiative was the project's Design Leader Vincent Leu '14.  "I was so honored to be asked to be part of this banner team," said Mr. Leu, a graphics for print and digital media graduate."  It is not every day that you get to do something fun that will be seen by an entire community and its visitors."

The banners were completed earlier this year and paid for through a grant from the state's Main Street New Jersey Program. This same program helped the BCA secure additional streetscape enhancements in recent years including sidewalk planters, hanging flower baskets, and new color-branded trash receptacles displaying the downtown name and logo.  To date, twenty-two of the fifty banners are in place and it is anticipated that the remaining ones will be installed by this Fall.