HEALTH CARE CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE RESET FOR FRIDAY
If you want to learn what health care construction projects are planned to stimulate the economy, the place to be will be the Trenton Marriott Conference Center on Friday, February 19. That is when the Alliance for Action has rescheduled its special Conference on Health Care Capital Construction that was postponed last week by the snowstorm.

Leaders from all segments of the state’s vital health care community will report on capital plans and participate in a panel discussion on “What’s Driving Health Care Construction?”

The Conference will begin with registration at 8 a.m. and continue through approximately noon.

HUDSON TO OPEN ALLIANCE COUNTY CHAPTER SERIES
The Alliance for Action’s popular series of county chapter meetings for 2010 will open on Friday, February 26, when the Hudson County Alliance meets. The issues will include the low-height of the Bayonne Bridge for maritime traffic and a natural gas project.

The meeting at the Hudson Manor, LaQuinta Inn & Suites, 350 Route 3 West in Secaucus, will begin with registration at 8:15 a.m. and the program at 9:00 a.m. The speakers will include:
-“Bayonne Bridge – A Major Impediment” – Joseph Curto, President of the New York Shipping Association.
-“The Liberty Natural Gas Project” – Cortland Coleman, Director of Communication for Liberty Natural Gas.
-“Rehabilitating Hudson County’s Treasures” – Paul Silverman, Partner, Exeter Property Company, Developer of Hamilton Square.

Co-chairs of the Hudson Alliance are County Executive Thomas A. DeGise; Dr. Carlos Hernandez, President of New Jersey City University, and Eric Boyce, Business Manager, Plumbers Local Union No. 24. To register, Go Here.

BPU APPROVES SUSQUEHANNA-ROSELAND POWER LINE
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved the project of Public Service Electric & Gas Company to construct the Susquehanna-Roseland Transmission Line. The Board vote was 5-0 in favor.

On January 14th, the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission voted to approve the Pennsylvania portion of the project.

In addition to BPU approval, PSE&G must obtain certain permits from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the National Parks Service for the portion of the line that goes through the Delaware Water Gap.

The Susquehanna-Roseland project is a 500,000-volt transmission line between Pennsylvania and New Jersey to maintain electric system reliability for customers throughout the region.

PUBLIC SERVICE TO INVEST $50 MILLION IN ENERGY PROJECTS
Public Service Electric & Gas Company has selected four sites and developers for over $50 million in investments of grid-connected solar energy. The sites are in Edison, Hamilton, Linden and Trenton.

Together, the four projects will produce 12 megawatts of energy, enough to power 1,300 homes. Construction is expected to start this spring, with completion scheduled for this summer and fall.

The four projects would be among the largest ground-mounted solar installations in New Jersey, with Hamilton the largest. Approximately 150 jobs will be created when installation begins.

$300 MILLION ROWAN REVITALIZATION PROJECT MOVES INTO NEXT STAGE IN GLASSBORO
The $300 million Rowan Boulevard in Glassboro is moving into another phase --- with construction expected in July or August on the first of five mixed-use buildings. The project encompasses 26 acres with 100-foot wide corridor stretching one-third of a mile from the campus of Rowan University to the borough’s downtown.

Sora Holdings is the master developer in partnership with the university and the borough. The five buildings will include a dozen restaurants, about 60 retail stores and is expected to boost the local economy more than $43 million after redevelopment is completed in 2012.

CAMDEN TRANSIT TERMINALS TO BE SPRUCED UP BY PORT AUTHORITY
The Delaware River Port Authority allocated $12 million for improvements and new developments in the City of Camden’s transit terminals and surrounding area.

The Authority committed $3 million to improve the Walter Rand Transportation Center, which is a hub for the PATCO line, NJ Transit buses and River Line light rail. It said it also would spend $9 million for development around the two PATCO Stations in Camden.

EDA TAX CREDITS APPROVED FOR TWO URBAN PROJECTS
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) approved funding for transit village developments in New Brunswick and Newark under the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program.

In New Brunswick, Somerset Street Urban Renewal Associates LLC got EDA approval of $27.1 million for a $135.6 million project. Somerset’s parent, New Brunswick Development Corp. (DevCo), said the project will include 173 apartments, 48 condominium units, 45,000 square feet of office space, 657 parking spaces and 70,000 square feet of retail, including a Barnes & Noble book store.

Two Center Street Urban Renewal LLC was approved by the EDA for $38 million in tax credits for its $190 million project by Dranoff Properties of Philadelphia. Dranoff said the project will feature a 44-story tower, with 328 apartments, 22,600 square feet of retail space and 595 parking spaces in downtown Newark.

BIGGEST SOLAR FARM ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS BEGINS AT WILLIAM PATERSON
Work is beginning on a 3.5 megawatt solar farm at William Paterson University in what has been described as the largest solar project in the country on a university campus. The first 3 megawatt phase will be commissioned in 2011.

The solar panels will be constructed on the university’s parking lots and four buildings. Nautilus Solar Energy of Summit will finance and operate the facility under a 15-year power purchase agreement. The university reported it will save $4.3 million in energy costs over the duration of the agreement.

RUTGERS ENGINEERS TO BE PART OF BRIDGE MAINTENANCE RESEARCH
A team of Rutgers University engineers is part of a national project to modernize techniques to maintain bridges. The Rutgers team, plus Drexel University and three technology firms, are working together on the five-year, $17.9 million initiative to start in February 2010.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced it will contribute $8.8 million to the project through an incentive program for “high-risk, high-reward research.” Nehad Gucunski of the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation said state governments spend up to 85 percent of bridge maintenance budgets on unsophisticated searches for internal flaws in concrete decks.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-Maggie Moran, Deputy Chief of Staff for former Gov. Jon Corzine, joined the Laborers International Union of North America as Director of Business Development for the eastern region.
-Ronald J. Esposito, has been named the new Executive Director of The Aviation Research and Technology Park.
-Louis Sandor III, CPA, and Ronald F. Martino, Jr., CPA, Partners at WithumSmith+Brown, PC, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, both received their Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP®) designation from the Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals.  There are only 13 individuals in the state of New Jersey with this credential. 

UPCOMING MEETINGS
February 19, 2010 - Health Care Capital Construction --- for Your Health and for the Economy’s Health, to register Go Here.
February 26, 2010 – Hudson County Alliance for Action, to register Go Here. .
March 19, 2010 – Burlington County Alliance for Action, cto register Go Here. .

To tell us what you think of our on-line news Go Here.

Back to Online News Home Page