BUSINESSES, LANDLORDS AND RED BANK (continued)

From 1975 on the downtown of most small towns suffered for the draw of major malls that opened across the country, Red Bank was no exception. As the malls were controlled by one management team and used joint advertising and promotions to generate sales stores became empty in Red Bank. The businesses there could not get over 9 to 5 mentalities and of course everyone was an individual and could not be told how to run their businesses.

It was in 1979 that I hooked up with advertising executive Larry Waxberg, whose office was here in Red Bank. We raised $1500 and produced three ads made for local cable TV. It was our first attempt to compete with or promote Red Bank as a great place to live work and play. Using local bank executives like John Kay from Shrewsbury State Bank, Frank Mazza from the Shearson Stock Brokerage firm and a host of other “local celebrates” were used to created three thirty second Spots for local cable TV commercials. Barbara from our own chamber of commerce did the voice over and “Red Bank the small town with the big City Flavor” was aired over the next two years.

Over this ten year period Red Bank became Dead Bank as more and more stores closed down. At one point there was, I believe, 57 stores empty in the Downtown District. Rents were low and the lack of a strong tax base from this area forecasted higher taxes for the home owners. This was happening across the country. I found out some years later that New Brunswick was studying our commercials to find ways that they themselves could save their downtown.

As we came into the 1990’s it was the beginning of the Ed McKenna era, a new town council and the start of Special Improvements Districts to improve downtowns. It was a time for people to come back to their roots and live in hometowns and get away from the hectic cities and air conditioned boxed shopping called “Malls.” It was the beginning of Red Bank and other small towns across the country to come back into their own, a rebirth so to speak…. (To be continued)