Hartshorn Elementary Lights Up for Diwali as Short Hills Developer Eyes Florida Comeback

Short Hills's South Asian community had reason to smile this week as Hartshorn Elementary School brought the spirit of Diwali into its classrooms with color, costume, and cultural learning. Meanwhile, a real estate firm rooted in Short Hills is making news further afield, working to breathe new life into a decade-old residential development on Florida's Treasure Coast.

Hartshorn Elementary Marks Diwali with Traditional Dress, Dance, and Cultural Discovery

Students at Hartshorn Elementary School in Short Hills recently came together to celebrate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, in a school-wide observance that brought South Asian culture vividly into the classroom. Children marked the occasion by dressing in traditional Indian attire, giving the school hallways a festive and colorful atmosphere that reflected the spirit of the holiday. The celebration also featured dancing, allowing students to experience one of the most expressive and joyful aspects of Indian cultural tradition firsthand. Beyond the costumes and performances, the event served an educational purpose, giving all students — regardless of background — an opportunity to learn about the significance of Diwali and its place in the Indian cultural calendar. For the many families of South Asian heritage in the Short Hills and Millburn area, seeing their traditions honored within a public school setting is a meaningful affirmation of the community's growing presence and influence. Events like this one at Hartshorn help build cultural understanding across the broader student body, fostering inclusivity and curiosity from an early age. [1]

🏢 Short Hills-Based Developer Moves to Revive Long-Stalled Florida Subdivision After More Than a Decade

A real estate development firm based in Short Hills, New Jersey, is working to restart a residential project in Indian River County, Florida, that has been in various stages of planning and partial construction for well over a decade. The developer, Indian River Preserve LLC, received approval as far back as 2003 for a mixed-use subdivision on a 31-acre site at the intersection of U.S. 1 and 99th Street, which was intended to include single-family homes and 78 condominiums spread across nine buildings, along with amenities such as a clubhouse, swimming pool, and tennis courts. Construction got underway in 2006, but the project stalled after only three of the nine condominium buildings were completed and two additional foundations were poured but never finished; internal roads, utilities, and water-retention infrastructure were also put in place before work ceased. The site plan for the project, which had received approval from the county's Planning and Zoning Commission in 2013, recently went back before the Community Development Department for fresh review, raising hopes that the long-dormant effort may finally move forward. The broader plan now also incorporates 96 apartments in addition to the original condominium units, representing an evolution of the original vision for the site. As a Short Hills-headquartered entity seeks to deliver on commitments made to an out-of-state community, the story serves as a reminder of the reach and ambition of real estate investors connected to New Jersey's Desi business community. [2]

Sources: [1] Patch · [2] Treasure Coast News