Spotlight On: André Sayegh, Mayor, City of Paterson
Key points:
- • Housing development and business investment are driving Paterson’s economic revitalization.
- • Historic preservation and tourism initiatives aim to attract one million annual visitors.
- • Public space improvements and financial empowerment programs are strengthening community development.
October 2026 — André Sayegh, mayor of the city of Paterson, spoke with Invest: about housing development, historic preservation, tourism, and efforts to improve public spaces and financial stability. Sayegh said, “Our goal is to become New Jersey’s No. 1 tourist destination.”
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What changes have had the greatest impact on Paterson’s economic direction?
Paterson is in growth mode. When I started eight years ago, we had well over 2,000 vacant and abandoned properties. Now we have fewer than 200. There is an unprecedented level of investment in the city.
We successfully attracted Gromex, a Mexican-based food distributor, from Passaic to Paterson, bringing jobs along with the company. We also anticipate a film studio, which was announced earlier this year. That will create jobs and opportunities for aspiring actors, along with internships for students in our schools.
We’ve built affordable housing for seniors, grandparents raising grandchildren, and people struggling with chronic health conditions. Market-rate housing is coming, as is workforce housing for teachers, police officers, and firefighters. We want professionals to work here and live here.
We’ve also invested heavily in parks because we see property values increase in the surrounding neighborhoods when those spaces improve. We revitalized a historic stadium that had been unused for 26 years and brought it back to life three years ago. Nearby homeowners made renovations because they knew their property values had increased.
Around the Great Falls, we’ve installed a pedestrian bridge. The stadium is there, as well as a new museum, affordable housing, a childcare center, and a parking garage. There is also Vista Park, which offers views of the New York City and Paterson skylines. Those investments in housing, business, film, and parks are shaping our growth.
How do you expect investment around the Great Falls to support tourism?
Our goal is to become New Jersey’s No. 1 tourist destination. We’re going to rebrand Paterson. I describe it as the home of the Great Falls, great food, and a great future. We have Mexican, Dominican, Peruvian, Turkish, and Palestinian food, among other offerings.
Through the Paterson Restoration Corporation, we’ve hired a marketing firm to help people understand that we are an attraction and encourage them to come see for themselves. We want to develop a tourism industry here.
The Great Falls is in a national park, and the National Park Service estimated that 300,000 people visited last year. Our goal is one million visitors annually. With the work around this national treasure, we hope to reach that goal in a few years.
How can film and arts investment contribute to Paterson’s economy?
Movies can bring national, if not international, attention because people around the world watch them. We’ll make a point of having the credits acknowledge that a film was made in Paterson. That may spark curiosity and encourage someone to put the city on their list of places to visit. I’m serious about that possibility.
How do you balance historic preservation with new business opportunities?
We look to our past to shape our future, and Hinchliffe Stadium is a good example. It’s historic preservation that benefits the future because we’ve attracted professional teams to play there.
A professional baseball team moved here after playing in Little Falls for 25 years and has now called Hinchliffe Stadium and Paterson home for four years. The New York Cosmos, the renowned soccer team that once included Pelé, also plays there. We have a women’s tackle football team, the Jersey Shore Wave, whose opponents include Canadian teams. Sports give us an opportunity to bring visitors here and showcase the city.
How does Paterson’s multicultural identity support its appeal to visitors?
We embrace our multiculturalism. We are the most diverse city in New Jersey. We’ve designated areas that reflect those communities. Lower Market Street is Peru Square, Grand Street is Mexican Boulevard, 21st Avenue is Colombian Corridor, and Park Avenue is Dominican Republic Way. Union Avenue is Bangladesh Boulevard, and Main Street is Palestine Way.
These ethnic enclaves help attract people who want to find the food they grew up eating in their home countries. Someone who is Mexican, Peruvian, or Palestinian can come to Paterson and find that connection.
How are you helping residents gain financial stability and participate in the city’s growth?
Our Financial Empowerment Center helps people become business owners in Paterson. It also helps them improve their credit scores, reduce debt, and become homeowners. Empowerment is the key word.
Financial stability gives people more flexibility in their lives. They can participate more in decision-making when they have income, capital, and resources.
What are your priorities for public safety and quality of life?
Quality of life matters because people won’t want to visit if they don’t feel safe. Violent crime is down significantly in Paterson.
We also emphasize cleanliness. In addition to our regular efforts, we have teams cleaning the city on weekends. We want people arriving or leaving to see a cleaner city, particularly at its entrances and exits.
What would you most like to see change over the next three years?
We’re always working toward a safer, cleaner city, which means a stronger city. We want to attract more businesses as a result. Gromex gave us a boost, and we’re hoping Filmology Labs will do the same by creating opportunities that empower our residents.
I would also like to see more development around the falls: more restaurants, potentially a hotel, and a gift shop where visitors can take home Paterson souvenirs. Paterson doesn’t have a hotel, and if we want to expand tourism, we need one. If someone is interested in investing in a hotel here, we’re listening and we’re interested.
What else is important to Paterson’s next phase of development?
Many years ago, the city was stagnant and moving backward. Now we’re moving forward. We want to continue investing in infrastructure because repairing roads is better for business. Something as simple as avoiding a flat tire matters when people travel here.
We’ve paved more than half of Paterson’s streets, and we’ll continue that work. We’ve improved every park in the city. That improves quality of life and gives families safe places to stay here and enjoy themselves.
We also want to keep improving our image. We hope rebranding will attract additional investment during a period when investment is already at an unprecedented level. Telling our own story is important because if we don’t, someone else will tell it and may twist it.
Want more? Read the Invest: New Jersey report.
