I simple Cafe that features music / poetry / art.
Combination gallery / stage that could be utilized by all ages and groups...

A bakery.

a great bakery is a terrific suggestion..another could be a Tasty sub shop...they are in Edison Franklin park and Hillsboro aka Just Subs..they have lines that are non stop..always draws a crowd and they have the best subs around..no stale rolls or cheap lunch meat..they have awesome salads too...just a thought..

Hightstown/East Windsor REALLY needs a café that serves light food, coffee/tea, desserts. Sort of like what Molto Bene was but more warm and affordable. We do not have any Panera's or Starbucks or any place like that to just go alone with a book or laptop or with a friend to chat. I always have to drive to Hamilton, Plainsboro or Princeton for Panera or a coffee shop. Would be so nice to have one in my town :)

I would like to see a cafe, but not a big chain like Starbucks or Panera. Something that's not as meat heavy as the grill on the corner. I also would appreciate a Greek restaurant.

Starbucks!!!!

a parking deck! LOL

Whatever goes in there I hope they put a sign up so that we know what it is, unlike the mystery business across from borough hall.

Amen to that, Leslie. What is that green curtained place? Health clinic? Rental agency?

In that location, a surf shop that also rents canoes, kayaks and arks.

Borough Hall - Photos in the Trenton Times show how they are working out of one small room. This would give them about all the space they need to not make decisions! Honestly who would rent the space knowing the flood history of the area of town. Just saying....

how about a small pet store

How about a taxi office, free services, check cashing, or a staffing agency? They seem to be very succesful businesses in the downtown.

It should be an insurance company. And they can sell flood insurance to the rest of the businesses nearby

It would be nice if whatever goes there is willing to be a part of the community and do business with EVERY resident and not just the Spanish community. We have so many stores and taxis that self segregate then complain of being picked on when told to comply with the rules.

A café would be nice... and yes Dave... one that caters to everyone preferably! (Across from Borough Hall is "Total Welfare". They have since covered the "Welfare" part that was posted in English... probably a good thing considering the connotation. Not sure exactly what they do, but the name alone makes me sick to my stomach. No kidding, total welfare... must be nice to not pay taxes, get a free education, and have everybody turn their heads on the real issues in the Borough.)

We do not have any hot dog wagons in this area at all. A very simple grill that serves only hot dogs/hamburgers/fries/etc. I think a lot of families would go there to relax and get some comfort food. There is plenty of parking across the street.

There are many Latino businesses in Hightstown because any business has cater to the local cliental which is this case is Latino. As far as cabs are concerned if anyone other then a Latino wants to start a business in Hightstown they can. Apparently none want to.

I like John's idea. A cafe that caters to the arts. A place that sells coffee and light fare. People could go there with there laptops. Then at night there could be writers meetings, open mike comedy nights, showcases for local bands/singers, poetry readings, informal performances of new plays, etc. Sounds like a place I'd like to hang out.

a bakery, coffee house, salad place would be great -and even better if it stayed open later than 7 pm!

Unfortunately, we lost the best tenant for that space. Having visited them several times in their new location, they seem to be a great fit in their new community and I wish them the best. Perhaps it's time we looked at an upgrade to our own downtown in order to attract/retain similar type uses. We can embrace our diversity while at the same time polish our image. Plans don't need to be perfect, either, as we all tend to bicker over everything. Perhaps a public/private partnership is the way to go. What has come of the GHEWIP report since it was presented? Does Borough Council need to act, or is it the Planning Board? Or worse yet, do we not know how to act on the recommendations in the report? We've got two drive thru banks in the heart of our downtown. Should we be catering to vehicles or is there perhaps a better use for these key properties in town? Perhaps it's time to think outside the box and get the banks out onto the highway and redevelop these properties. A bigger vision is needed and the rest will follow.

Starbucks.

Why retail? Some of you might have noticed we have lost a lot of jobs in Hightstown. If you get a job in a retail store do you get paid enough to afford to live in Hightstown, or do you need to live some place else and commute here?

At one point in time I worked for a small MANUFACTURING company in Wrightstown. When the Air Force Base downsized the local strip mall was devastated. So the zoning board allowed the owner to rent to us. We built high tech products, in a strip mall! After a couple of years the owner was out looking for more companies like us. Why? Because we generated no noise, no traffic, no loitering outside, didn't need lots of parking etc. We paid a whole lot more than minimum wage too!

How about a nation chain franchise for tax preparation?