The southern most section of the city’s shopping district most commonly known as Bergen Point got a little more colorful last week when flowers began to appear on the light poles.
A few months shy on the organizations second anniversary, the Bergen Point Merchants Association began hanging flower pots on street light poles in the next step on improving the streetscape for the historic section of Bayonne.
The nine planters are part of the business association’s effort to give the district its own unique character, and part of an ongoing effort to make the area reflect its historic character.
“When the new historic light poles are installed, we will transfer planters to those,” said Eddie O’Rourke, president of the BPMA. “This is our effort to beautify the streetscape.”
O’Rourke said they had hoped to get the planters up by Memorial Day, but succeeded to have them installed in early July.
The merchants set out to form their own business association in late 2003 in an effort to remind the rest of Bayonne that Bergen Point had its own business district.
Last year, as part of the city’s street improvement program, several of blocks of business district were upgraded with new sidewalks and a new historic look, and the new planters have been installed in this area.
“When the new turn of the century lights come in, we’ll transfer the planters to them,” O’Rourke said. “We’re hoping to have this done by the end of the summer.”
The city has plans to continue the sidewalk and streetscape improvements along Broadway to 5th Street, and the merchants intend to follow behind them installing banners and planters there as well.
The new work is scheduled to start next spring, after which, city plans call for improvements to the 8th Street corridor for the designated route of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail extension, which O’Rourke said will also be part of the merchants improvement program.
promoting some of the historic Victorian flavor that exists in the Bergen Point is an aspect of the group’s efforts, and something O’Rourke believes have been successful. The new banners and the street improvements are all geared around a Victorian era theme.
While the geographic boundaries of Bergen Point, O’Rourke said, are a little hazy because the village goes back before the town was incorporated most accept Bergen point as being bounded by 10th Street on the North and 1st on the South, extending from Newark Bay on the west to New York Harbor on the East.
“Over the last two years, we’ve done more than we expected,” he said. “But we’re planning to do more.”
On Saturday, Oct. 1, Bergen Point Merchants Association will hold their second Music and Arts Festival. This is one of three regular annual events they hope to continue, including the Winter Wonderland celebrations in December and a Spring Festival around Easter.