| October 2007 |
The third building of the Brass Company project on
Freeman Street is completed. First floor houses the Arts Unbound
workshop and studio with an artist living space in the big second
floor loft. |
| September 2007 |
PSE&G announces $500,000 Neighborhood
Revitalization Tax Credit grant for the Berg hat factory
community/commercial arts center. |
| September 2007 |
The Arts
Incubator project on Valley Road is approved by the West Orange Zoning
Board. |
| September 2007 |
City Council approves tax abatement for F. Berg hat factory project. |
| August 2007 |
Four murals are completed in Orange High School
by 24 student artists working with master artists in the ValleyArts/StudioWorks
project. |
| June 2007 |
The Sixth Annual Valley Arts Music and Poetry
Festival draws 700 people. |
| January 2007 |
The environmental remediation plan for the Harvard
Printing/Monroe Calculating Co. site is approved by the NJ Dept. of
Environmental Protection. |
| December 2006 |
The State approves the Central Valley as a
Brownfield Development Area which brings financial assistance and
expedited environmental approvals. |
| August, 2006 |
The “Wall of Scintillation” public art project is
created by Debbie Markette and the ValleyArts Beautification Committee
on the side of the Brass Company building at 544 Freeman Street. |
| August, 2006 |
Landmark Developers of Jersey City is designated as
Redeveloper to construct 160 condominiums and neighborhood retail on
the corner of Scotland Road and Central Avenue and the Bravo
Supermarket site. |
| August, 2006 |
HANDS and its partners – Applied Development and
Alpert Group – named as Redeveloper of five blocks of Jefferson Street
from Central Avenue to Nassau Street. The Jefferson Art Walk project
will include 400 housing units, 100 artist spaces, open space, retail
and historic preservation. |
| Summer 2006 |
Nate Hutson and Carol Meyer conducted the first
four-week Fashion Institute at Valley Settlement House working with 10
teens to create their own fashions. |
| Summer 2006 |
StudioWorks, a ValleyArts partner, leads 10 teenage
artists in the creation of the first ValleyArts mural at 540 Freeman
Street. |
| July, 2006 |
NJ Department of Environmental Protection approves
clean-up of Berg hat factory to residential standards. |
| March, 2006 |
HANDS purchases the former Coquelle’s Bakery on
Central Avenue that was closed down three years ago. Stay tuned. |
| March, 2006 |
Application submitted to State of NJ to designate the
Valley as a Brownfield Development Area which will fast track
environmental clean up and access to state funds. |
January, 2006
and August 2006 |
Two new arts businesses join the ValleyArts District –
moving into the Brass Company buildings owned by HANDS on Freeman
Street. They are Blackberries II an African art importer and
Plasterworks an architectural molding and mural design company. |
| December 6, 2005 |
Orange City Council
unanimously approves the Central Valley Redevelopment Plan for the 10
block industrial core of the Valley. |
| September, 2005 |
Arts
Unbound moves into The Brass Company buildings on Freeman Street. |
|
June, 2005 |
New
Jersey Future presents the 2005 Smart Growth Award to Orange,
West Orange and HANDS for the Valley planning effort. |
| May 22, 2005 |
Over
500 people attend The Bigg Event - an arts extravaganza at
Valley Settlement House to launch ValleyArts. |
| March, 2005 |
Historic Valley Street signs and welcome signs are installed by Orange
Valley Neighborhood Preservation Program. |
| March, 2005 |
PNC
Bank contributes $250,000 under the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax
Credit to assist HANDS with the redevelopment of former industrial
sites that have environmental contamination. |
|
April, 2005 |
West
Orange launches Neighborhood Preservation Program on the West side of
the Valley. |
| June, 2004 |
The
Valley Revitalization Initiative comprehensive plan is submitted by
HANDS to the NJ Development of Community Affairs and approved. |
| December, 2004 |
Orange Zoning Board approves HANDS’ proposal for redevelopment of the
F. Berg hat factory at Nassau and Jefferson Streets into 29 loft
condominiums and commercial arts space. |
| January, 2003 |
Fire
destroys most of the historic No-Name hat factory at Mitchell and
Jefferson Streets. |
| 2001-2003 |
Three universities – NJIT School of Architecture, Rutgers Bloustein
School and Seton Hall Nonprofit Resource Institute assist Valley
residents, businesses and community organizations to plan the Valley’s
future. |
| June 23, 2001 |
Plan
for revitalization of the Valley is conceived at the Orange
ModelCity-2010 strategy conference. |
| January, 2001 |
City
of Orange launches the Valley Neighborhood Preservation Program -NPP. |
