HOUSE TRANSPORTATION CHAIRMAN OBERSTAR COMING TO NEW JERSEY
Congressman James Oberstar, (D-Minnesota), Chairman of the important House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will be saluted on Monday, June 18, at a luncheon hosted by the New Jersey Alliance for Action.

Oberstar will be honored at the luncheon in The Newark Club on June 18 at 12 noon.

Former Congressman Robert A. Roe is Chairman of the Host Committee.

Alliance for Action President Philip K. Beachem said: “With the recent reorganization in Congress, many long-time friends of the Alliance have been elevated into new leadership roles, including Chairman Oberstar. He already has set in place an ambitious agenda of major action on transportation and water resources.”

Seating is limited, so reserve early by registering on line Go Here. Sponsorships for the luncheon also are available by calling Jerry Keenan at (732) 225-1180.

ABELOW SETS CRITERIA FOR ASSET MONETIZATION POSSIBILITIES
State Treasurer Bradley Abelow told the Alliance for Action that there are three critical priorities as the Corzine Administration considers options for asset monetization --- the new description for selling or leasing the capital assets like the New Jersey Turnpike.

At a meeting of the Alliance’s popular “Meet the Players” series, Abelow listed the priorities as:
-Protecting labor and jobs.
-No excess profits for private firms at the state’s expense.
-Maintaining state control over things such as tolls, capital investments, maintenance, etc.

Abelow made it clear that the Corzine Administration does not believe the sale or lease deals made in Chicago and Indiana meet those criteria.

AIR RIGHTS OVER PORT AUTHORITY BUS TERMINAL TO BE DEVELOPED
The Port Authority would sell the air rights above the terminal to developers Vornardo Realty Trust and Lawrence Roben Co., allowing the developers to build up to 1.3 million square feet of office space and renovate 55,000 square feet of retail space.

Over the next nine months, some $9 million work of design and engineering studies for the expansion would move forward. It would take a couple of years for construction of the new gates. As part of the plan, the Port Authority envisions an additional 26 bus gates.

EXPANSION PLANS FOR ATLANTIC CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Atlantic City International Airport is planning major upgrades for the interior of its passenger terminal in 2007. The upgrades are in response to the Airport’s 27% increase in passengers this year and the addition of a new non-stop service between Atlantic City International Airport and Las Vegas that was inaugurated on May 3 by Spirit Airlines.

NEW JERSEY’S TALLEST WAREHOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
New Jersey’s tallest distribution center is under construction in South Jersey at the Haines Center, a 900-acre industrial park on Route 130 in Florence and Burlington Townships.

Richard Cureton, president of Whitesell Warehouse Co., a Delran developer, said that at 80 feet tall, the warehouse will be twice the height of most Garden State warehouses. The 721,000 square-foot building will have a project storage height of 68 feet, compared to 30 to 36 feet at conventional distribution sites, and a 700-feet width, significantly more than the standard 400 to 600-foot width.

The building’s overall volume comes to nearly 53 million cubic feet, double the amount available in a warehouse with the same square footage but half the height. The project cost has been estimated at between $70 million and $75 million.

NEW SCHOOLS CONSTRUCTION MANUAL WILL BE INTRODUCED
A new 21st Century Schools Design Manual will be introduced this month in a collaborative effort between the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (SCC) and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

The Manual is designed to establish high-performance standards for an effective, sustainable approach to building quality schools in New Jersey. It will focus on minimizing use of energy and fossil fuels as well as providing a healthy learning environment and cost-effective approaches to building.

Official unveiling of the Manual will come on May 15 at 1 p.m. at the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in New Brunswick. The SCC is inviting architects, engineers and school district officials to attend.

PREVAILING WAGE EXTENDED ON PUBLIC PROPERTY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Acting Governor Richard J. Codey signed legislation requiring construction contractors to pay their workers the prevailing wage for projects on publicly owned property. The new law applies to property owned by the state, towns, authorities, universities and other public entities.

ALLIANCE LEADERS WILL BE HONORED
Leaders of the New Jersey Alliance for Action will be honored for their contributions to the state’s economy and construction industry.

The Newark Regional Business Partnership will present Alliance President Philip K. Beachem with its transportation leadership award. The event will be held on May 18 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Newark Club, One Newark Center, Newark.

Alliance Senior Vice President Clifford J. Heath will be inducted on July 11 into the inaugural New Jersey Asphalt Pavement Association Hot-Mix Asphalt Hall of Fame. Also inducted posthumously will be the late Michael Manno, who was a member of the Alliance Board of Directors. The ceremony at the Molly Pitcher Inn, Red Bank, will begin at 5 p.m. during the Association’s annual meeting.

ASHE 2007 NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The 2007 American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) National Conference will he held at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City from May 20-24, 2007. Click here for more information or to register for the conference http://www.ashe2007.com/.

NEW JERSEY LABOR LEADER SERVES ON COMMITTEE FOR CURE FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
The 2nd Annual Race for the Cure to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will be held on Wednesday, July 25, at the Bridgeport Speedway in Gloucester County. Serving on the Event Committee is Alliance for Action Board member E. Frank DiAntonio, President/Business Manager of Construction and General Laborers Local 172.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-Janette Sadik-Khan has been appointed as the new head of New York City’s Department of Transportation, by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
-Gene Lempicki, formerly of Skanska Civil, has joined the firm of Medina Consultants as Vice President/Branch Manager of its New York office. He will be in charge of business development for engineering and construction services.

SAVE THE DATE
5/16/07 Scott Weiner, Chief Executive Officer, NJ Schools Construction Corporation will speak as part of our Meet the Players Series at the NJ Carpenters Funds Conference Room in Edison. To register Go Here.

5/24/07 N.J. Hospital Construction…Building Better Hospitals and Assuring a Healthier New Jersey at the Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Center in Trenton. To register Go Here.

6/8/07 Bergen County Chapter Meeting at the Meadowlands Sports Complex Racetrack in East Rutherford. To register Go Here.

6/18/07 NJ Salutes Jim Oberstar, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman at the Newark Club in Newark. To register Go Here.

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