Mayor Michael Ghassali describes the community as one “where everyone knows everyone.” He highlights the friendly nature of Montvale, with benefits like the small school system, which builds strong bonds among families, creating lifelong friendships. As Montvale continues to evolve, it is drawing an array of new businesses, including restaurants, retailers, and medical facilities, further enhancing the quality of life for residents. ATTRACTING AND RETAINING BUSINESSES Noting that Montvale is focused on bringing in amenities that make the borough an enjoyable place to live, the mayor details, “We are happy we have a steakhouse coming. We have small restaurants, fast food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, BYOB’s, and retailers, like Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn. Those are all convenient for residents, within a short drive.” He reports that Montvale is attracting a steady stream of businesses, adding an average of three to four new enterprises each month.“Some of them are small, some of them are in the 2000 to 3000 square foot size,” shares Ghassali. “Many are office based like accountants, attorneys, and some are ancillary medical businesses, like medical billing.” Dental services is a particular area of interest, with several new specialists opening in the town over recent months. The borough is also revisiting its zoning laws to attract more economic diversity. “We’re trying to make it easier for companies to move in, without having to go for variances or a lengthy process,” explains Ghassali.“We have identified a few uses, like manufacturing, warehousing, and indoor recreation, that we would like to include. So, any company that wants to move in, it’s already rezoned and ready.” Along with these, Borough Administrator, Joe Voytus says the town is working to bring maker spaces, data centers, banks, and self-storage on board. “With the increase in population we have had over the past five years there’s a demand for services,” he elaborates. “These new residents need dentists, they need selfstorage, they need daycare centers, they need places for recreation because they’re in an apartment.” ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Montvale’s Economic Development Committee is actively engaged with the borough’s largest businesses, supporting their growth and success. Ghassali recounts,“We have our top five companies that we work with.They occupy large spaces in town, and we try to help them to get more clients and more business. We try to be the connection between them and the state for any incentives with the county, with any grants or programs for their employees, for their 173 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 09 MONTVALE, NJ
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