BRICK – In 2015, the governing body passed the Storefront Revitalization Program to encourage small businesses to come to Brick and occupy vacant storefronts.
The ordinance was renewed in 2017, 2019, 2022 and now in 2025, the council voted unanimously to extend the ordinance, which includes waiving fees for business owners who renovate an existing vacant commercial property.
Some 30 new businesses have opened and taken advantage of the program since its inception, said Mayor Lisa Crate during a recent Township Council meeting.
The Business and Finance Committee recommended renewing the ordinance, which had expired. The renewal extends the waiver through December 31, 2025, she said.
“In this ordinance, the township is encouraging any new businesses looking to fill any commercial vacant space under 5,000 square feet that has been vacant for at least a year to open for business,” she said.
During the portion of the meeting where the public can comment on the ordinance, resident and business owner Charlie Bacon said he looks at fees as part of startup costs for a business coming into a town.
He said most businesses consider opening in a town by the length of time it would take to build and how the business is tailored for that town’s demographic.
Bacon questioned a line in the ordinance that says “we’ve determined that the waiver of the fee has successfully encouraged property owners.”
He said when he hears the word “encouraged,” he wonders if the 30 businesses came to Brick due solely to the Storefront Revitalization Program.
“Do we have that statistic? And how much of tax dollars are spent on this year over year?” he asked. “Before this is approved, I feel that there should be some type of proof that somebody came into this town specifically because we waived a fee.”
Business Administrator Joanne Bergin said the whole point of the creation of the ordinance was to address some of the vacant storefronts in town.
“Everybody wants all these box stores that want to come in, they want to build their own footprint …the thought was let’s fill some of these vacant storefronts because that was something we were hearing from the public,” she said.
Brick renewed its program that waives some start-up fees for small businesses. (Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn)
Residents wanted to know why new buildings were going up near them when there were so many vacant storefronts, Bergin said, so the point was to fill them up and make it as easy as possible for a small business owner to move into their own storefront.
“The feedback we got from some of the store owners as they would come into the Building Department was that they specifically asked before they started the process, ‘Is this ordinance still in place?’” she said.
“The feedback we got from our zoning officer is that it’s greatly appreciated and successful,” Bergin said. “For me, that was enough to recommend that the council consider renewing it.”
Council President Derrick Ambrosino said taxpayers do not fund the waived fees; it’s just what the township would normally collect.
Bergin agreed. She said it does not change the dollar amount of the permit fee that would have to be issued, just the application fee.
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