COLLEGE OFFICIALS REPORT ON CAPITAL PROJECTS AND FUNDING NEEDS
Higher education leaders outlined capital projects that are under construction, currently in planning or represent unmet needs---with continuing concern expressed over what funding resources are going to be available.

Their presentations were made to a capacity audience of over 200 at a statewide conference in Trenton sponsored by the New Jersey Alliance for Action, which was entitled “Building For Tomorrow’s Leaders.” The participants included executives of both public and private colleges and universities in the state.

Alliance President Philip K. Beachem, declared that capital construction projects for higher education play a vital role in boosting the state’s economy and lowering unemployment in the hard-hit construction industry.

New Jersey’s 19 community colleges were represented by Steven Rose, President of Passaic County Community College. He declared that the 19 community colleges have approximately $1 billion in unmet needs. He asserted that New Jersey leads the nation with 30% of its students leaving the state for out-of state institutions. He stressed that the 19 community colleges serve over 400,000 students, but no new capital funding is expected this year from the state.

The conference included a panel discussion on how and when public-private partnership agreements can be utilized by colleges and universities to develop needed capital programs. It was moderated by Robert Gerard, Chief Marketing Officer, Birdsall Services Group, who also served as Chairman of the conference. The panel participants agreed that public-private partnership projects must involve early discussion of risk, responsibility and rewards.

Presentations at the conference were made by representatives of Rider University, Rowan University, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, New Jersey City University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, Princeton University and The College of New Jersey.  For a full report on the conference, Go Here.   

ALLIANCE MEMBERS ARE PART OF THE CHOOSE NEW JERSEY INITIATIVE
A new non-profit, privately-funded organization called Choose New Jersey was introduced by Governor Chris Christie to help market economic growth in the state.

Dennis Bone, CEO of Verizon New Jersey who is active in the state's economic affairs, will serve as interim chairman of Choose New Jersey. The membership also features a prominent labor representative, Raymond M. Pocino, Vice President and Eastern Regional Manager of Laborers International Union of North America.

Choose New Jersey will work in partnership with Governor Christie and his administration to keep and attract economic development in the state. Each company involved in the new group has committed $450,000 over three years to privately fund Choose New Jersey, its staff and activities.

Bone declared: "When we benchmarked New Jersey to other states, we found that New Jersey was not in the game when it came to selecting and attracting businesses."

Pocino, a member of the Alliance for Action Board, and Bone have played major roles in the Alliance's programs to spur economic growth and create jobs through investment in infrastructure projects.

Other members of the Alliance for Action represented on the Choose New Jersey board include:
Public Service Enterprise Group, Atlantic City Electric, Prudential Financial, New Jersey Resources, American Water, Wakefern Food, South Jersey Industries, United Water, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and Novartis.

GROUND BROKEN FOR $80 MILLION MERCER COURTHOUSE
Ground was broken for construction of the Mercer County Criminal Courthouse in Trenton, a $80 million dollar public project which will be the largest in terms of cost in the county's history. The project is funded in part by $55 million in Build American Bonds under the federal stimulus program.

Located at South Warren and Market Streets, the building will provide space for some 300 county and state employees. The four-story, 141,000 square-foot structure is expected to be completed in two years, and will create 250 to 300 construction and trade jobs. The site is behind the existing courthouse, which was built in 1903.  

FIRM TO RELOCATE 120 JOBS FROM NEW YORK TO JERSEY CITY
A New York-based life sciences consulting firm announced plans to relocate to Jersey City, bringing 120 jobs with it. Intrasphere Technologies, Inc., said the relocation was spurred by a state incentive grant worth $12.4 million over 10 years.

The Company will relocate to the Harborside Plaza building, with an additional 180 new jobs planned over the next two years. The firm provides comprehensive business services and software solutions to life sciences companies.    

RUTGERS BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BUSINESS SCHOOL
The Rutgers University Board of Governors approved construction of a new facility for the Rutgers Business School-New Brunswick on the Livingston campus in Piscataway.  The $85 million, 156,000-square-foot building has attracted a $10 million gift from an anonymous donor toward the construction costs.  

Construction is anticipated to begin in late spring of 2011, with occupancy expected in the fall semester of 2013.  The business school is the centerpiece of a long-term plan to redevelop the Livingston Campus into a center for business and professional studies.  

NEW JERSEY JOINS STATE-FEDERAL CONSORTIUM ON WIND POWER
Governor Chris Christie signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government and other East Coast governors to establish an Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium.  The goal is to facilitate cooperation for commercial wind development on the Outer Continental Shelf of the Atlantic coast.  

In addition to Christie, the agreement was signed by the governors of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.  The consortium seeks to develop a plan for priorities, goals and specific recommendations.  

In announcing the agreement, Governor Christie said:  "The environmental tragedy of the Gulf dramatically demonstrates the need to create safe and reliable ways to produce, distribute and use energy."  

APPROVAL GIVEN FOR "TEACHERS VILLAGE" IN NEWARK
The Newark Central Planning Board gave final site plan approval to the $120 million "Teachers Village" that is seen as the home to three charter schools with 1,000 students and 221 residential units marketed to educators.  

Ron Beit, who heads the New York based RBH Group, said the project is intended to attract 15,000 people who staff Newark schools and universities but are not residents of the city.  He reported that the plan is to break ground this fall along William and Halsey Streets for the phase known as "Teachers at Four Corners."  

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS ARE UP IN THE REGION'S PORT
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported that the total volume of imports and exports rose 9.6 percent during the first quarter of 2010 at the region's ports.  

Imports for the first quarter increased by 9.8 percent above 2009 levels, while exports were up by 9.4 percent.  The Authority, which runs the ports, said the figures were a positive sign for the broader economy.  

BPU PRESIDENT SAYS ENERGY VITAL TO NEW JERSEY'S ECONOMY AND JOBS
Reliable and renewable sources of energy are crucial to New Jersey's ability to create economic growth and jobs, says Lee Solomon, President of the State Board of Public Utilities.  He was the keynote speaker at the Alliance for Action's South Jersey Regional Dinner.  

"We are looking at nuclear, wind, solar, combined heating and power and other alternative solutions," Solomon declared.  He said: "We need to create more electricity here, rather than bring it in from out of state."  He described New Jersey's water infrastructure as "in desperate need of repair."  

In addition to Solomon's address, highlights of the dinner were presentation of annual Walter Rand Awards for Public Service to Gloucester County Freeholder Joseph Brigandi and Camden County Freeholder Edward McDonnell.  A special award for its regional economic and civic contributions went to Atlantic City Electric.  

CORPS OF ENGINEERS PROJECTS OUTLINED FOR ALLIANCE
Alliance for Action members received a detailed rundown of US Army Corps of Engineers projects in New Jersey from Colonel John Boule, Commander and District Engineer of the Corps' New York District.  He highlighted another in the series of the "Meet the Players" programs hosted by the Alliance.

Boule said the Corps has completed some $103 million of the $400 million total cost of the Green Brook flood risk reduction project.  The next step, he reported, is to enclose from flood waters the community of Bound Brook, which is expected to be completed by 2010.  He said the Green Brook project is the largest stimulus-funded project in the Northeast.  

To stay competitive with other ports such as Norfolk, VA, Boule declared that the Port of New Jersey and New York must continue its dredging activities to a 50-foot depth.  

WEINSTEIN REPORTS ON CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR NJ TRANSIT
  Before a capacity audience of 200 at an Alliance for Action "Meet the Players" session, Executive Director James Weinstein of NJ Transit outlined a series of capital projects designed to improve service and accessibility for the public.  

Among projects he reported as part of NJ Transit's capital program were:

• Delivery and rollout of 321 new multilevel rail cars and 1,145 new buses.
• The first construction contract to be advertised on the Portal Bridge, a $1.7 billion infrastructure improvement.
• The $8.7 billion ARC Trans-Hudson commuter rail tunnel project is moving ahead quickly, with $1 billion in construction contracts scheduled for Fiscal 2011.  Work will begin this summer on the tunnel segment under the Palisades in Hudson County and bids will be taken this fall for tunneling under the Hudson River.

The program will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Edison, with registration at 9:00 a.m. and the program at 9:30 a.m. Larkins will report and answer questions on management and implementation of the state's $3.9 billion school construction program.  The Authority recently announced plans for projects at 111 schools in 59 school districts throughout the state. To register, Go Here.

ALLIANCE FOR ACTION TO HEAR REPORTS ON THE FUTURE OF CAMDEN
The future of the City of Camden and the growth of Camden County College will feature a meeting of the Camden County Alliance for Action on Friday, June 25.  The meeting at The Mansion on Main Street, Voorhees, will begin with registration at 8:15 a.m. and the program at 9:00 a.m.

Speakers will include:

• Camden County Freeholder Jeffrey Nash, on "Camden - Positioned for a Most Promising Future."
• Dr. Raymond Yannuzzi, President of Camden County College on "Camden County College -- Four Decades of Growth."
• Richard Hammer, Assistant Commissioner-Capital Program Management, NJ DOT on "Unveiling the FY 2011 NJ DOT Capital Program."

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