Message from Mayor Josh Losardo | May 22, 2026

On Monday evening, the Township hosted a Public Information Session with Woodmont Properties to share our long-awaited vision for downtown revitalization. The packed Council chambers, along with many more residents watching on Facebook Live and local cable, reflected just how much this community cares about our future. We believe that enthusiasm is well-placed.

Here are some important updates covered in the meeting:

Town Square and New Retail Space

At the heart of the plan is a new Town Square along Park Avenue, designed to pair with our beloved Alan Augustine Village Green. 

Picture flexible seating, shade trees, an interactive fountain, and a “flush” driveway that closes during events to expand the festival footprint to host farmers markets, live music, movie nights, and Scotch Plains Day for generations to come. 

Approximately 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail will face the plaza, with residential units above. The architecture has been carefully designed, including brick detailing, varied rooflines, stoops, and porches – all of which fits the scale and character of our downtown. Woodmont is also in the process of securing a liquor license, as part of efforts to create another vibrant dining experience.

Residential Units and Parking

The plan is organized into three districts:

• District A (location of the current Scotch Plains Library on Bartle and Forest Avenues and adjacent surface parking lot) will include 137 residential units and 251 parking spaces. 
• District B (location of current Town Hall, fire department, and adjacent surface parking lot) will feature 213 residential units and 419 parking spaces, with ground-floor spaces reserved for public use. 
• District C will be reserved for municipal use, featuring a new combined library and town hall fronting Bartle Avenue, along with required public parking. Importantly, the new building will be completed first and then municipal operations will relocate to the new building. There will be no need to lease temporary space during this transition saving taxpayer money.

Parking is a priority throughout. All existing public parking stalls will be replaced, with structured garages providing covered, convenient access in all three districts. Residential and new parking spaces for the new commercial space will also be constructed. The plan also proposes complete street improvements including curb extensions, traffic-calming devices and safer pedestrian crossings.

Critically, every district will be built to meet NJDEP’s updated flood hazard and stormwater standards, with planning projections running through the year 2100. On Monday, we heard residents’ calls to go beyond the minimums with added green infrastructure and initiatives. We take those recommendations very seriously.

Project Phasing

Construction begins with the new Public Safety Building on Plainfield Avenue, with a groundbreaking planned for next year. Build-out is anticipated to take about two years. Once constructed, our Police, Fire and EMS Departments, and the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad, will relocate to the new building so that Woodmont can begin construction in District B. 

Full build-out of the entire plan is estimated from seven to 10 years. No private properties are taken or negatively impacted; this plan is centered entirely on township-owned parcels and surface parking lots.

Separate public information sessions will follow on project financials, the Public Safety Building, and the new library and town hall on District C. A recording of Monday’s meeting is available here; please reach out to my colleagues or me with your questions and thoughts. For a copy of the PowerPoint presentation and other information about the plan, please click here.  

Thank you for your engagement, your questions, and your commitment to making Scotch Plains an even more incredible community as we move through the phases of this historic process to permanently improve our downtown.