Bloomfield Moves Forward on Locust Avenue Redevelopment Study: What Homeowners Should Know

Bloomfield is taking the first formal step toward redeveloping a downtown-adjacent parcel at 78-88 Locust Avenue. The township council authorized an investigation of the property earlier this year, and the Planning Board is now reviewing an Area in Need of Redevelopment study for the site. A redevelopment designation is the legal doorway that lets a town steer how a property gets rebuilt, so this is a story worth watching even though no shovels are in the ground. Here is what it means for the neighborhood and for anyone buying or selling nearby.

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What is being studied?

The parcel at 78-88 Locust Avenue sits close to Bloomfield's downtown commercial core, the kind of location that towns typically look at first when they want to add housing and foot traffic. The study, prepared for the Planning Board's consideration, evaluates whether the property meets the state's criteria for designation as an Area in Need of Redevelopment under New Jersey's Local Redevelopment and Housing Law.

• Why the designation matters: once a parcel is designated, the town can adopt a redevelopment plan and pick a developer for it, with control over density, building height, parking, and design.
• What it does not do: it does not force anyone out or guarantee a specific project. It simply opens the door for the town to shape redevelopment rather than waiting for whatever market-rate use shows up on its own.
• What commonly follows: for downtown-adjacent lots like this one, towns typically plan mixed-use projects with apartments over ground-floor retail.

The study is the same legal mechanism Bloomfield has used to move other projects forward, including the redevelopment work happening around the train station and the Sacred Heart campus on Bloomfield Avenue and State Street.

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Where the process stands now

The township council authorized the redevelopment investigation earlier this year, and the Planning Board is reviewing the published Area in Need of Redevelopment study before deciding whether to recommend designation. From here, the typical path looks like this:

• Public hearing and designation vote: the council votes on whether to officially designate the property.
• Redevelopment plan: the town drafts a plan describing what can be built, including uses, densities, and design standards.
• Developer selection: the town can then solicit and choose a developer for the site.

Each of these steps comes with public meetings where residents can weigh in. That is the part homeowners should pay attention to: this is exactly the kind of process where neighborhood input actually shapes the outcome.

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What it means for homeowners and buyers

• Near-term impact is modest. A study and designation do not change what you pay in taxes or what your home is worth tomorrow. Think of this as a slow-moving, high-info story.
• It is a signal about the neighborhood. Towns do not study parcels in areas they expect to decline. Locust Avenue's proximity to downtown makes it a target for investment, which is generally a positive sign for nearby property values over the long run.
• Watch for housing supply. If this site becomes mixed-use apartments and retail, it adds rental supply close to downtown, the kind of housing that supports local shops and cafes without changing the character of established residential streets.
• Public meetings are where it is decided. If you live or own near the parcel, the designation hearings and redevelopment plan meetings are your chance to shape parking, height, and design. I recommend attending or at least reading the meeting agenda.

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The bottom line

Bloomfield is early in the process of studying 78-88 Locust Avenue for redevelopment, and there is no concrete project or timeline on the table yet. For homeowners, the sensible read is to treat this as a positive signal about the downtown-adjacent neighborhood, not as an imminent change. For buyers, it is one more reason to keep an eye on the area around Bloomfield's downtown, where transit, shops, and new investment are coming together.

If you are looking near this part of Bloomfield and want to talk through what the changes could mean for your plan, I am happy to walk through it, no pressure.