RiverCenter's hard work has captured the attention of the Downtown Revitalization Industry Nation-wide, and internationally. Since 1995 RiverCenter has hosted fifteen Japanese study tours, two from the United Kingdom, and we were represented by our Executive Director in Germany on the subject of Revitalization. Here at home we have hosted variety of groups mostly from the tri state area. Visitor groups include emerging SIDs, Community leaders looking for advise for the next right step, professionals who are interested in pursuing a career in Community Revitalization, and established community revitalization groups that are looking to exchange ideas and learn from RiverCenter.

We have brought home numerous awards; many we share with local property owners, and local government. They include design awards for built projects, marketing and planning awards, or the MODC Silver Gull Award for Tourism, and one of our favorites, the Asbury Park Press Reader's Choice Award for "Best Downtown".

RiverCenter has been acknowledged as the model for Downtown Revitalization, and the leading SID in New Jersey. Nation-wide Red Bank RiverCenter is also considered a model for revitalization in the small town category. In 1997 The Urban Land Institute and the International Downtown Association published a book on BIDs, written by Larry Houstoun. The book provides an in depth profile of five BIDs. They are New York City -Times Square BID, Philadelphia, PA - Center City BID, Denver, Colorado - Downtown BID, Miami, Florida - Lincoln Road BID, and Red Bank, New Jersey - RiverCenter BID. *second edition.

To its credit RiverCenter did not set out looking for headlines, but by the time we stopped to look up from our toiling we realized we had an audience, and so we started to talk with them. Today we are actively involved at the state level designing programs to benefit New Jersey's Downtowns. These initiatives have included the passage of the BOCA Rehabilitation Sub-Code; a five million-dollar loan pool called B.I.Z., and other advisory functions.

RiverCenter's achievements are made possible through the efforts of our volunteers, active leading business people, the cooperation of a strong local government, and great staff.

* In 2004 the second edition of BIDs was published with updated information on current, and future RiverCenter projects.

Funding for RiverCenter Activities

RiverCenter is funded through a special assessment. All our programs are paid for through this assessment and additional fundraising work. Assessing every commercial property within the district boundaries their share, which is based on the value of their property, raises the assessment.

Assessments vary widely; the smallest assessment may be a few hundred dollars and others pay several thousands, but the average assessment is estimated to be about $1,325 annually. RiverCenter's total annual budget is $624,052. This budget increased three times over the life of the organization to pay for the Streetscape improvements on Broad Street, on Monmouth Street and the exapnsion of our district.