Page 20 - MidJersey Business - September 2014

who lives down the street, say he

MIDJersey Business
Describe what
would not come into the city of bring those businesses back or do
your first few weeks in office
you have to target new ones and
Trenton to do work with this ad-
were like.
ministration. That’s how broken make Trenton attractive to different
kinds of businesses?
They have it was. It was broken to the extent
certainly been exciting. It’s
that business leaders in our com- We’ve had a great his- MAYOR ERIC JACKSON
JACKSON
been a ton of work, it’s met the munity lost full conidence in that tory with the Italian restaurant
expectations of what myself and the city could help them stay in district in our city for many years.

my cabinet anticipated we would business, no less expand or grow The truth of the matter is the
ind: A city where the foundation their business.
demographics of our community
“I RECOGNIZE
for government had been broken. It was broken to the point have changed over a period of THAT PARTNER-
We’re restoring the foundation where residents lost conidence time, thus, those businesses
SHIPS AND
for running good government, not only in the leadership of this unfortunately, and due to a whole
making sure we are putting the city, but also in the agencies of host of reasons, left our city. Some STRONG
COMMUNICATION
right people in the right places, our city, speciically in the police closed but some others went to
and putting professionals where department. That’s why I’m so suburban locations. But what’s WITH OUR
BUSINESS
they need to be. That starts with delighted that I brought in Ernie interesting is that for every res-
bringing in a very highly qualiied, Parry Jr., with his 25-plus years of taurant that has closed, a new one ALLIES WILL HELP

professional cabinet, which I experience in the city of Trenton, has opened.
THE CITY MOVE
FORWARD. THEY
continue to assemble. Two recent to lead the police department, As mayor, along with my hous-
highlights of that are the appoint- which is a critical agency, .
ing and economic director and my SHOULD REALIZE
THAT THERE IS A
ment of my chief of staf, Francis entire team, what we have to do is
Blanco, the irst Latina chief of create a new restaurant district,
NEW MANAGE-
Is that broken trust your ad-
MJB
staf in the city’s history, and the a new cultural center that will MENT TEAM IN
hiring of Jacqueline Foushee as ministration’s greatest obstacle?
include restaurants that are now PLACE THAT’S

the irst African-American female Honesty, integrity, and open in the same locations—with MOVING THIS CITY
to run the Public Works depart- trust were the things that we hit a very diverse menu—that want to JACKSON
FORWARD.”

ment. It’s been an exciting irst the ground with and said we had
have the greater Trenton commu-
few weeks. We’re still unraveling to make better. But the issue
nity come and patronize them. As

things from the former adminis- that the citizens of this city are mayor, part of my responsibility
tration that we need to cure, that holding me accountable to is ix- is to create the opportunity for

we need to ix, but we are running ing our crime, especially violent those businesses not only being
an organized government to move crime. That is the priority of this here, but being able to expand

this city forward. I’m excited that administration. We’re working on with corridors or business centers
that will include restaurant dis-
we’ve opened doors to stronger it in the midst of ixing the loor
communication on the state for good government to work, but tricts. We want to make sure that

level—from the governor and his crime is overarching. We have to Trenton continues to have great
staf—and with the MIDJersey create a better education system diversity in terms of restaurants

Chamber, speciically, we’ve had for our children to be able to com- and other businesses that provide
strong communications with CEO pete within the city, statewide, services to our citizens.

Bob Prunetti. I recognize that nationally, and globally. The third At the end of the day, restau-
partnerships and strong commu- tentacle is economic development rants used to be a reason that

nication with our business allies and the ability to attract new people came into the city. Those
will help the city move forward. businesses and be able to specii- were great restaurants and they

They should realize that there is
cally keep the businesses that we helped to attract tourism. We still
a new management team in place have—which, in my mind, are the have great restaurants, but we’ve

that’s moving this city forward in a hub—and help them expand. They gotten away from using them as a
transparent way.
are the critical elements.
tourist destination. When people

come into our city to visit the
ballpark or the arena, I want them

How broken was the level of
A lot of the headlines we’ve
to be aware that we also have MJB
MJB
trust in the local government?
seen the last few years coming out
these establishments that, along
It was broken to the of Trenton have to do with crime,
with our great culture and history,
but they also tell the story of busi-
JACKSON
point where you had a governor,
they can tap into as well.
nesses leaving town. Can you ever

business
18 midJersey