“These families are the backbone of our town,” Mayor Canose says simply. “It’s time the town was truly walkable for them, too.” Growth, when it comes, is measured in decades rather than boom cycles. After years of negotiation and redesign, final approval was granted in August of 2025 for a mixed-use project on the corner of Route 202 and Mount Airy Road. When construction begins in 2026, the development will deliver 67 upscale apartments, ground-floor retail—restaurants, cafés, and shops that borough officials believe will finally “anchor” downtown the way residents have always wanted.“We didn’t want another surface parking lot,” the mayor says. “We wanted something that feels like it’s always belonged here.” Housing diversity is moving forward on parallel tracks.Three 100% affordable projects broke ground this summer, a direct response to New Jersey’s Mount Laurel obligations but executed with Bernardsville’s characteristic attention to detail. One building, reserved exclusively for seniors, will offer walkability to downtown shopping. “These are empty-nesters 43 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 BERNARDSVILLE, NJ
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