NEW JERSEY STIMULUS BILL BECOMES LAW
New Jersey’s new omnibus economic recovery legislation was heralded as having a major impact on New Jersey’s institutions of higher learning. The bill was signed into law by Governor Jon Corzine, who visited Montclair State University to describe it as “an era where the private sector is a full partner in our efforts to expand educational opportunities.”

The legislation allows colleges and universities to enter into public-private partnerships with private developers to construct facilities, including student housing, student centers, performing arts centers and research facilities. Montclair State President Susan A. Cole said: “Our students deserve the kind of modern facilities that make first-rate education possible.” Sponsors of the bill were Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-20th) and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts.

TRANSIT HUB TAX CREDITS PROGRAM IS EXPANDED
An official of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority says expansion of the state’s Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Act would help leverage up to $3 billion in real estate development projects. Tim Lizura, the EDA’s Senior Vice President of Business Development, noted that the economic omnibus bill signed by Governor Corzine has a section increasing access to the transit hub tax credit program.

Among the changes, the legislation lowers the capital investment threshold from $75 million to $50 million for business and now also allows tax credits to be sold to other companies.

NAVY IS PART OF GROWTH FOR PICATINNY ARSENAL
Picatinny Arsenal --- once considered for closing by the military --- is now growing, spurred by the return of the U.S. Navy which has not had a presence at the arsenal since the 1890s. The Naval Surface Warfare Center is bringing to Picatinny divisions from seven locations throughout the country that research and develop the Navy’s guns and ship defense systems.

The first of 220 new engineering and science jobs for the Navy are now being filled, with the bulk of the hiring to come in 2010 and 2011. Five new buildings will be constructed and one will be refurbished.

Elsewhere on the installation, two large defense technology companies have recently signed long-term office leases as part of a public-private collaboration. Picatinny Arsenal has 6,500 acres of land and more than a million square feet of indoor research space.

ROUTE 80 RESURFACING WORK BEGINS
Work has begun on the $16.4 million road and bridge resurfacing project on Route 80 between Paterson and Hackensack. Funded by federal stimulus dollars, the project is expected to cause some slowdowns for the estimated 122,000 daily travelers who use the eight-mile stretch.

The initial phase will be repaving of a three-quarter-mile stretch in both directions between the Route 18 interchange and the Madison Avenue exit in Paterson. The State Department of Transportation (DOT) said work will be done entirely at night to limit traffic delays. The phase is expected to be completed by early October.

On August 18, a second and larger phase of the project is scheduled to begin with the resurfacing of the eight-mile eastbound stretch and repairing of 24 bridge decks. The DOT says much of the second phase also will be done at night whenever possible, but work will require some lane closures on the eastbound side during daytime hours. The timetable for completion is December 2010.

SOLAR ENERGY CONTINUES TO MAKE NEWS IN THE STATE
Solar energy development continues to make news in New Jersey.
-The U.S. Department of Energy announced it will invest in solar energy technology development programs at two New Jersey firms --- Petra Solar of South Plainfield and Princeton Power Systems of Princeton. They were among five firms the DOE indentified nationally for investments.
-The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced new incentives to stimulate manufacturing of solar panels and create “green jobs.” The Renewable Energy Manufacturing incentive offers consumers and businesses that purchase solar panels made in New Jersey a rebate of up to 25 cents per kilowatt for the panels.
-Quick Check, the chain of nearly 120 food stores throughout New Jersey and Southern New York, reported it has completed its first renewable energy project. It is the installation of a 110-kilowatt solar system on the roof of a customer support center in Whitehouse. It will generate more than 20 percent of the electricity used at the company’s corporate headquarters.

SOMERSET COUNTY BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP HOLDING PUBLIC POLICY FORUM
The Somerset County Business Partnership will be holding a conference “Making New Jersey More Affordable for Businesses and Resident: A Public Policy Forum” on Friday, October 2 beginning at 8:00 a.m. at Raritan Valley Community College-Grand Conference Room. The featured speaker at the conference will be Donald Scarry, Founder & Principal Economist of NJ Economics.
For more information Go Here.

HEALTH SERVICES FIRM CONSOLIDATES IN FRANKLIN
inVentive Health, a provider of services to global pharmaceutical and health care industries, has moved into new headquarters on Atrium Drive in the Somerset section of Franklin. The new building will house more than 500 employees in 154,035 square feet of space in the four-story building.

The site will be used by inVentive to consolidate two office buildings from Somerset, two offices from Somerville and an office from Newtown, PA. With offices across the globe, the company employs about 7,000 people worldwide.

RECONSTRUCTION OF ROUTE 287 IN MIDDLESEX TO BE COMPLETED IN JANUARY
Construction and repair of a 5.9-mile section of Route 287 in Middlesex County is expected to be completed in January 2010, according to the State Department of Transportation (DOT). The stretch between the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison and Stelton Road in South Plainfield is traveled by about 155,000 vehicles every day.

The $40 million project will provide four new bridges and a new surface when completed. The DOT reported that it will be the first time since the highway opened 42 years ago that the Middlesex section of Route 287 has been resurfaced.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-John Cimino recently joined the T&M Associates team in their marketing division. Mr. Cimino will be responsible for sales and marketing for both the public and private sectors.
-Lawrence Schmidt recently joined French & Parello as Senior Environmental Specialist.
-Michael P. Kelly was elected Chairman of McCarter & English.
-Anthony R. Coscia, Esq. will be honored at the 2009 Flame of Charity Dinner on Thursday, October 22, 2009. For more information contact the Diocese of Metuchen at (732) 562-2438 or visit their website at www.diometuchen.org/event-viewer/.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
9/11/09 – Atlantic County Alliance for Action. To register Go Here.
9/23/09 – Somerset County Alliance for Action. To register Go Here.
10/14/09 – 35th Annual Eagle Awards Dinner. To register Go here or for advertisement information Go Here.

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