Community Comes Together at NJCDC’s 2025 Neighborhood Summit

View our Neighborhood Summit 2025 photo album

This weekend, NJCDC convened community members, civic leaders, and partners for the 2025 Great Falls Neighborhood Summit — our annual gathering dedicated to charting the future of Paterson’s Great Falls Neighborhood. NJCDC Founder & CEO Bob Guarasci set the tone in his welcome remarks: “When you look around, you can see it — Paterson is changing. Not every project is perfect, but together they represent real momentum, and our neighborhood has to be at the heart of that story.”

Eddie Gonzalez, NJCDC’s Director of Community Outreach and Special Assistant to the CEO, underscored that point by sharing his own perspective as a lifelong Patersonian. “Being born and raised right down the street, I never imagined I’d see this kind of transformation. The Falls went from being overlooked to becoming the centerpiece of a neighborhood that’s coming alive in ways I could only dream of.”

With those words, the Summit became a vibrant platform for residents to hear directly about transformative projects underway — from major county investments and national park improvements to NJCDC’s own ambitious youth and arts facilities — and to weigh in on how these changes can strengthen the neighborhood they call home.

Transforming a Landmark: The Marshall Street Jail Site

Passaic County Commissioner Orlando Cruz shared exciting updates on the long-discussed redevelopment of the former county jail at 11 Marshall Street. Instead of constructing a costly new correctional facility, the site is being reimagined as a modern six-story county office building and parking garage, consolidating the Board of Social Services and election offices. Beyond efficiency and savings, the project promises to bring hundreds of employees downtown each day, supporting small businesses and helping fuel economic activity.

National Park Projects on the Horizon

Darren Boch, Superintendent of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, highlighted projects underway within the park. A new pedestrian footbridge — to be named for the late Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. — will soon open, dramatically improving access to the Falls. Boch also outlined a long-term initiative to re-water the historic raceway system, with design work and engineering studies already funded. Together, these efforts will enhance both the visitor experience and preserve the city's irreplaceable cultural legacy.

Building a Visitor Experience Worthy of the Falls

Stephanie Cullins, Executive Director of the Hamilton Partnership for Paterson, shared exciting progress toward the long-awaited Alexander Hamilton Visitor Center. Through an innovative partnership with Montclair State University and support from the NJEDA’s Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion program, the project is on track to break ground in 2026. The center will serve as dynamic a hub for exhibits, cultural programming, and educational events that highlight Paterson’s role as America’s first planned industrial city.

Our Mayor’s Vision of Synergy

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh energized the room with his passionate call for “synergy” — urging alignment of public, private, and nonprofit efforts. He pointed to new recreational spaces, like Vista Park and the soon-to-open Riverwalk, as tangible signs of momentum. “Our goal should be to bring one million people to the Great Falls,” he declared, underscoring the tremendous potential of Paterson's natural and cultural assets to drive tourism and economic development.

NJCDC Projects: Expanding Youth and Arts Opportunities

NJCDC’s Chief Real Estate Development Officer, Michael De Blasio, presented renderings of the new Great Falls Youth Center expansion. The $12 million facility will triple the number of youth served, adding a full-size gymnasium, cutting edge animation and e-gaming studios, an entrepreneurial suite, and a rooftop learning space.

De Blasio also unveiled plans to repurpose the former Doctor’s Cave go-go bar at Spruce and Grand into a mixed-use development, turning a once-troubled property into a welcoming residential and retail space that will anchor positive change on the corridor. 

Perhaps most exciting was his introduction of the future Great Falls Arts Center at 320 Main Street — a groundbreaking project that will transform the historic First Presbyterian Church into Paterson’s first dedicated performing arts center, complete with a black-box theater, community marketplace, and comprehensive arts education studios.

Investing in Youth Trades and Workforce Development

Pastor John Oostdyk of Servant’s Heart Ministry shared inspiring updates on the Great Falls Center at 39 McBride Avenue, where young people are mastering essential trades including welding, carpentry, and plumbing. Through free, hands-on training programs led by skilled volunteers from across the region, graduates are leaving with marketable skills and real job opportunities. “Our craftsmen haven’t mastered the trades until they pass them on to someone else,” Oostdyk emphasized, highlighting the program’s commitment to creating lasting impact through mentorship.

Preserving Legacy, Building the Future

Gianfranco Archimede, the City of Paterson’s Historic Preservation Director, closed the presentations by framing these projects as part of a larger legacy. From the restoration of the historic raceway to the thoughtful reimagining of Spruce Street, Franco underscored the critical importance of connecting historic preservation with modern redevelopment — ensuring that progress honors the past while building for the future.

A Collective Effort for the Great Falls Neighborhood

By the end of the morning, the momentum surrounding the Great Falls Neighborhood was undeniable. New public facilities, restored historic assets, vibrant cultural destinations, and youth-centered spaces are all converging to create lasting, transformative impact. But what makes the Summit truly unique isn’t just the impressive list of projects — it’s the way residents themselves are central to the conversation, shaping the vision and holding leaders accountable to community priorities.

As Bob Guarasci reflected in his closing remarks, “Revitalization in Paterson isn’t about one agency or one developer. It's about neighbors, leaders, and institutions working together to imagine what this community can become — and then rolling up our sleeves to make it real.”

The 2025 Neighborhood Summit reaffirmed that progress in the Great Falls District is not a top-down effort, but a collective undertaking shaped by the people who live, work, and dream here. Together, we’re proving that when a community unites behind a shared vision, transformation isn't just possible — it’s inevitable.