FAQ's: Common Questions & Answers about the RiverCenter
It was created in 1991 because, at the time, Red Bank was known as "Dead Bank". At the request of a struggling business community, Mayor and Council adopted an ordinance creating a Special Improvement District (S.I.D.) to revitalize and manage Downtown Red Bank.
The RiverCenter is Red Bank's Downtown Management Corporation; as stipulated by the ordinance forming the S.I.D. and NJ State Enabling Legislation. The RiverCenter is a 501 (c) 3, private, non-profit corporation.
RiverCenter is located at 20 Broad Street, second floor. The RiverCenter District is the area indicated in the small map below.
The purpose of the RiverCenter is to revitalize and manage Downtown Red Bank and to maintain its vitality.
All commercial property owners within the legal boundaries of the Special Improvement District pay an assessment based on the value of their property. All Downtown revitalization programs and projects are funded with these assessments.
A paid staff of two people maintains regular business hours at the RiverCenter:
Nancy Adams, Executive Director,
Harriet Cook, Director of Operations and Valerie Ryan as Program Manager. In addition, an all-volunteer Board of Directors oversees the work of numerous task forces comprised of local business owners, business managers, residents, seniors and students. Additional time and talent are donated by a host of volunteers from the greater Red Bank area.
While our town was once known as "Dead Bank", today, Red Bank enjoys a national reputation as an exciting, vibrant and thriving community. This growth has helped to make Red Bank a nicer place to live, work and play as well as substantially increasing local property values. As properties within the downtown district increase in value, Downtown property owners and businesses carry a larger share of the local tax burden.
