Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr. issued the following statement on the Mount Prospect Avenue streetscape improvements.

“First, I want to thank everyone who came to our Oct. 20 community forum at to learn more about the streetscape improvements on Mount Prospect Avenue. We held the forum to give residents and business owners the opportunity to interact directly with the city officials who are the most knowledgeable about the various aspects of the streetscape improvements, including neighborhood services, the police and fire department and the city engineering department. I think it was an incredibly productive meeting with many important issues raised that will be addressed by the appropriate city departments.

“The streetscape improvement project is just one of many investments that we have made in the Mount Prospect business corridor in the last few years. We have created the Mount Prospect Partnership to promote and enhance economic activity along the business corridor. We have created a partnership with the Newark Police Department, the Essex County Sheriff’s Department and Sterling Security to reduce crime in the community. We have renovated the Ballantine Mansion after decades of neglect. We have made funds available to improve the facades of a number of properties along Mount Prospect. And we are working to rehabilitate Mount Prospect Park.

“We were fortunate to receive funding from the Urban Enterprise Zone for the Mount Prospect streetscape improvement project because these funds could have gone to any neighborhood in the city. The design of the project was well known and publicized by the Mount Prospect Partnership well before work got underway. It is a major improvement for Mount Prospect Avenue. It paid for new sidewalks and curbs, ADA ramps, benches, trees, decorative lighting poles, clearly demarcated parking and measures to slow traffic down on Mount Prospect Avenue. I realize there are some aspects of this project that will take some getting used to, but ultimately the streetscape improvement project will benefit businesses in the area by making Mount Prospect Avenue safer and more attractive for shoppers.”

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