NEW RAIL TUNNEL RECEIVES $75 MILLION FEDERAL BOOST
A federal appropriation of $75 million to the Access to the Region Core’s (ARC) project, which includes a new Trans-Hudson rail tunnel, was accomplished through the efforts of New Jersey’s US Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. More than five times the amount dedicated last year, the appropriation will advance engineering work on the project.

Anthony Coscia, Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said: “We are aggressively pursuing a full funding grant with the federal government and the Senators’ support is invaluable.”

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO ENSURE NO CUT IN FEDERAL HIGHWAY FUNDS
Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives (HR 6532) to shift sufficient revenue to the Highway Trust Fund to avert a cut in federal highway funds to the states in FY 2009. The bi-partisan sponsors are House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel and Chairman Jim Oberstar and Ranking Republican Jon Mica of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Without public support, according to the New Jersey Asphalt Pavement Association, New Jersey could lose some $306 million in federal funding, leading to the loss of 11,000 jobs. The Alliance for Action urges its membership to send messages of support to Congress.

HARTZ PRESENTS PLANS TO REDEVELOP OLD FORD SITE IN EDISON
Hartz Mountain Industries detailed plans to redevelop the former Ford plant site before 100 residents at a public hearing of the Edison Planning Board. Hartz wants to convert the 97-acre site into Edison Towne Center with retail shops, restaurants, a hotel and theatre.

The proposed development would be anchored by two bookend retail blocks. One would be 145,546 square-feet, while the other is described as a home improvement store with a main building and garden center. Access would be from Route 1 and Vineyard Road.

A 150-room hotel would be featured in the center of the project, along with five restaurants located in the midst of parking for thousands of cars. The almost half-mile frontage along Route 1 would include a bank with drive-through window, another restaurant, a retail outlet and a gas station.

Hartz has offered to donate 7.5 acres to the township adjacent to Paterniti Park. The Edison Township Council will review the site plans at its meeting on August 11.

DELAWARE RIVER RECEIVES ANTI-POLLUTION DESIGNATION
A stretch of the Delaware River has received a special classification by the Delaware River Basin Commission to protect it from pollution. The designation limits direct discharges of wastewater into the river from the Delaware Water Gap to Trenton.

The upper part of the river north of the Water Gap received the designation in 1992. Basin Commission members include the governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware and a representative of the Army Corps of Engineers.

CARTERET PLANNING REDEVELOPMENT OF WATERFRONT
Carteret is moving forward on an ambitious project to revitalize its waterfront on the Arthur Kill waterway. Plans being developed for the 105-acre waterfront redevelopment site include a 17-acre park with a gazebo, fishing pier and playground, along with a 252-slip marina, transit village and ferry stop for trips to Manhattan.

The plans would include extending the existing fishing pier 800 feet to the south to shelter boats in the new marina and a boardwalk with shops, offices and apartments. Mayor Dan Reiman said Carteret has received state permits for the pier extension and is awaiting a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers for the marina dredging. He hopes cleanup of the contaminated site would start by next year or 2010 and noted that Carteret is eligible for up to $5 million from the State DEP for remediation.

PORT AUTHORITY ASKS FOR NEW AIRPORT FEDERAL TECHNOLOGY
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey urged the Federal Aviation Administration to upgrade air traffic control systems at the three major airports in the metropolitan area --- Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia.

The letter from Anthony Coscia and Chris Ward, Authority chairman and executive director, respectively, called for the FAA to use Next Generation (Next Gen) Air Transportation Systems at the airports. They noted that there have been “several accounts of airspace incidents.”

Next Gen is a wide-ranging federal project to change procedures and technologies to address an expected major increase in demand for reliable, safe and environmentally friendly flights nationally.

GLOUCESTER CITY PLANNING RETAIL DISTRICTS UPLIFT
Gloucester City is working on plans to revitalize its older retail districts. The JGSC Group of Merchantville in 2007 produced a community insights program to learn the needs and wants of residents and develop strategies to strengthen existing businesses.

One district would focus on residential retail such as restaurants, beauty and personal services and groceries. The other district would center on regional retail catering to commuters such as furniture stores, home improvement centers and auto dealerships. The city also wants to use a 75-foot schooner for public sailing excursions on the Delaware River.

GROUND BROKEN FOR CONDO COMPLEX IN NEWARK’S IRONBOUND SECTION
Ground was broken on a luxury condo complex in Newark’s Ironbound section. The $19.8 million four-story residential and commercial structure on Ferry and Magazine Streets will offer 67 residential units, 12 retail units and 77 parking spaces. It will feature a roof garden, private balconies and an exercise room.

The mixed-use urban infill project known as The Continental is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2009. The developer is Vision Downtown Urban Renewal LLC.

ESSEX ALLIANCE TO HEAR REPORTS ON RAIL TUNNEL AND CONSTRUCTION ECONOMY
Presentations on South Orange’s transit village, the construction economy and the Trans-Hudson tunnel will feature a meeting of the Essex County Alliance for Action on Friday, August 8.

Registration will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the program at 9 a.m. for an audience of business, labor and government leaders at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, 17th Floor, One Newark Center, Newark. The speakers will be:
-Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, Business Manager-Local 68, International Union of Operating Engineers, on “Assessing the Construction Economy.”
-Alan M. Weinberg, Senior Director Agency Coordination, NJ Transit, on “Up-Dating ARC and the Tunnel.”
-Douglas Newman, President, South Orange Village Township, on “A Transit Village Success Story.”

Co-chairs are Giblin, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo and Ciro Scalera, Director-Public Affairs, Verizon New Jersey. To register Go Here.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-James B. Kehoe, President of the Southern New Jersey Building Trades has been appointed by Governor Jon Corzine as Chairman of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.
-Congratulations to Mark Stout, Assistant Commissioner at NJDOT upon his retirement after serving with the Department for 28 years.

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

Back to Online News Home Page