Westfield Council Presented Quimby Street Redesign Schematic Design

The Town of Westfield presented a schematic design for the Quimby Street redesign project to the municipal council on August 11, 2026. The project redesigns Quimby Street between North Avenue and Elm Street, as well as Central Avenue from East Broad Street to Municipal Lot 7 on the northwest side.

The vision for the project is to design Quimby Street as one of Westfield's defining public spaces that bridges the town's historic charm and contemporary spirit. The design aims to create a flexible street that adapts to community needs, balance public gathering spaces with private commercial space such as outdoor dining, and support events including music, markets, and performances.

The proposed design increases parking from 46 existing spaces to 55 proposed spaces, broken down as follows: Quimby Street will have 16 spaces, Elm Street from North Avenue to East Broad Street will have 24 spaces, and Central Avenue will have 15 spaces. The design incorporates herringbone brick pavers, granite cobble, and alpine blue limestone as primary materials. Furnishings include park benches, bicycle racks, trash receptacles, pedestrian light fixtures, and stone seating walls.

Stakeholder meetings held from October through November 2025 gathered input from the Downtown Westfield Corporation, business and property owners, historic preservation officials, the steering committee, the fire department, and Union County representatives. Key concerns included pedestrian safety, parking management, fire truck access, and maintaining Westfield's historic character. The project schedule indicates construction kick-off is expected in Q1 to Q2 of 2027, with construction documents to be completed in Q4 2026.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy against official sources.

Produced with AI assistance and reviewed against source records.