The Main Ave. entrance to Clifton Commons has new signage, a theme that carries into the Kohl’s shopping center, a block toward Nutley. Styertowne Shopping Center (top right) continues to renovate. The former Rowe-Manse Emporium, a 45,000 square foot three-story, structure, was being sub-divided to accommodate national retailers.
There is good and bad news from all the residential development of 2003. As a result of roughly 1,500 dwelling units planned or built in the past year, a boost to the economy was inevitable. From those apartments, townhouses and condos came thousands of new residents, and ultimately, built-in shoppers. “Retail always follows rooftops,” chanted Harry Swanson, Clifton’s economic development director. “And if there’s one thing we’ve got in Clifton, it’s a lot of new rooftops.” Along Route 3, Clifton Commons added Target Stores as the anchor in the 14-acre second phase expansion of this retail mecca. Across the highway, Styretowne Shopping Center has completed a facade renovation and added new stores, including a soonto-open 55,000 square foot Acme; meanwhile renovations continue on the 45,000 square foot RoweManse building. Elsewhere in Delawanna, the once dilapidated Bradlees shopping center on Main Ave., toward Nutley from Clifton Commons, was completely renovated and is now anchored by Kohl’s. Across Main Ave. at the intersection of Clay St., property owner Carmen Maggio, the former owner of Rowe-Manse Emporium, has a proposal before the Board of Adjustment to convert four commercial properties into a retail establishment. When you add it all up, Swanson said Clifton Commons and
Styertowne, in combination with its “big box” neighbors Kohl’s and Costco, form the nucleus of Clifton’s outdoor mall. “The area has become stronger commercially and economically,” said Swanson. “Delawanna has become big box city.” Traffic, congestion and a burden on municipal and school services are the flip side to all this growth that the city is experiencing. While that was well documented in the past year, those issues and questions about planning continue to be an issue. Jan. 2004: The BOE and Council hold their third and final joint meeting on a proposed site for a middle school. Though the site was not announced, Clifton Merchant learns the agreed upon site is Schultheis Farm. Jan. 2004: Councilman Frank Gaccione voices uncertainty about the need for a new school, saying overcrowding can be remedied by removing illegal students. Feb. 15, 2004: City cops have worked without a contract since Dec. 2000. That was when the city and the Clifton PBA 36 reached agreement on the terms of a new three-year contract, with the exception of a union proposal to change the shift cycles worked by its members. By 2004, police worked three static 8hour shifts, a system that was in place since the 1950s. The PBA proposed that patrol officers work four 10-hour shifts, which, the union said, would save the city $100,000 in overtime costs each year and deploy the cops in a more efficient manner. Cliftonmagazine.com • August 2018
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