(WBIR-MORRISTOWN) The SkyMart is the signature feature of downtown Morristown.
"It was a response to the flooding that occurred downtown," Barbara Garrow said.
It was not just a little water. A photo shows Main Street looking like a shallow river.
"It was their answer to urban renewal in the 1960s," she said.
Building overhead sidewalks seemed like a way to use the second stories of commercial buildings for something better than storage.
On May 4, 1967, a band was part of the grand opening of the Downtown SkyMart.
She said: "Unfortunately, many stores weren't ready for that yet. They didn't have the personnel or employees to make it an entrance. We are now working on that."
"We" refers to the Crossroads Downtown Partnership. Barbara Garrow is program director.
"It's becoming living quarters, new shops. It's part of the downtown redevelopment process," she said.
It is certainly different from the early history of the Skymart. One iconic photo shows it was more playful than practical.
"Some young ladies in the '60s on a Volkswagen Beetle watering the plants over the side of the SkyMart. So it's really not used for traffic, but it is one of those iconic pictures of downtown," she said.
It's still the defining feature of downtown.
"It's concrete. It's not elegant. But it is part of our culture now. We have people who walk on it like a walking track. If you make a loop it's at least a quarter of a mile. So it's part of our heritage here. It's well over 50 years old," she said.
She may not consider it particularly elegant but Barbara Garrow likes the latte-colored paint because it blends better with the buildings.
As far as the overall look of the SkyMart, "Many people either love it or hate it, but it's here to stay and we're utilizing it."
Developers are adding not only businesses to the second level but also apartments and lofts.
"It's an opportunity for folks who own these buildings to think of new ways of using them that would not only increase their business but also increase the whole atmosphere for downtown Morristown," she said.
Back in the 1960s, a similar structure in England inspired the SkyMart design. Today, it maintains a claim to fame.
"This is the only one that's still in the United States," she said.
In January, they will find out if the SkyMart will be on the National Historic Register.
