GOVERNOR PROMISED ALLIANCE DINNER GUESTS HE WILL RETURN WITH A FINANCING PLAN TO MEET THE STATE’S NEEDS
Governor Jon Corzine told nearly 1,000 attendees at the Alliance for Action’s 33rd annual Eagle Awards Dinner that “I will return with a successful financing plan to meet the needs of state government.”

The Governor declared:
“I am working on it, and one of these days we will get a legal review to pull the cork out of the bottle. I want to come back next year with a plan for the people of New Jersey to rise above the obstacles to achieve success.”

Corzine said that, while there have been accomplishments, “there are lots of things we have to fix and this will take resources.” He asserted that raising taxes, additional borrowing or cutting costs will not provide the solution.

The Governor commended the Alliance for “working with every governor since it was organized in 1974 to grow the economy and improve the quality of life.”

The Eagle Award recipients were William Stavola, President of Trap Rock Industries; New Jersey Natural Gas; Tom Manning, Business Manager of Steamfitters, Pipefitters and Apprentices Local 475; Robert Binder, Chairman of Binder Machinery Co., and Richard Raczynski, Chief Engineer for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

EDISON COUNCIL APPROVES HARTZ MOUNTAIN PLAN
At a meeting attended by more than 100 people, the Edison Township Council approved the Edison Towne Center redevelopment plan proposed by Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc., the Secaucus-based developer. The plan for a huge retail and commercial complex goes to the Planning Board for site approval.

The Hartz Mountain development would include two “big box” stores, public areas, a cinema and many smaller shops and services. In addition, there would be a commercial office building and a hotel. Hartz Mountain also has offered to donate to the Township 7.5 acres of land adjacent to Paterniti Park.

ALLIANCE CONSTRUCTION FORECAST SEMINAR SET FOR NOVEMBER 8
The Alliance for Action’s 23rd annual Construction Forecast Seminar --- one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year --- will be held on Thursday, November 8, in Trenton.

In what may be a preview of which way New Jersey’s economy is headed, some 30 public and private agencies and organizations will give two-year construction estimates for 2008-2009.

Last year, those totals for 2007-2008 hit an Alliance Forecast Seminar record total of $29.2 billion.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the program will start at 9:15 a.m., at the Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Center. Among those providing construction estimates will be:
Pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, utilities, telecommunication providers, casinos, private sector companies, the National Association of Industrial Office Properties, and major transportation agencies such as the State DOT, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and NJ Transit.

Last year 200 attendees participated; to reserve your place Go Here.

MGM MIRAGE ANNOUNCES $5 BILLION HOTEL-CASINO FOR ATLANTIC CITY
Plans to construct a new $5 billion casino in Atlantic City were announced by MGM Mirage. The new resort will be on a 72-acre site next to the Borgata, which the Las Vegas-based company co-owns with Boyd Gaming Corp.

The MGM Grand Atlantic City will have three separate hotel towers, totaling more than 3,000 rooms and suites. MGM says it will have the largest casino floor in Atlantic City with 5,000 slots, 200 table games and a large poker room. MGM hopes to receive approval under the Coastal Area facility Review Act by early 2008, with groundbreaking the same year and an opening planned for 2012.

CLEANUP OF SANDS CASINO IMPLOSION IS UNDER WAY
The Sands Casino is no longer part of the Atlantic City skyline after it was imploded, leaving a four-story pile of rubble. The cleanup will be handled by R.E. Pierson Construction Co. of Pilesgorve, the general demolition contractor that will be working for the next two months to haul away about 80,000 cubic yards of brick and twisted steel.

The former Sands footprint is scheduled to be the site for construction of a Las Vegas-Style multi-billion dollar casino to be developed by Pinnacle Entertainment.

NJ BPU ACCEPTING BIDS FOR POWER-GENERATING WINDMILLS
Proposals from companies to build about 70 offshore power-generating windmills are being accepted by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Bids will be accepted until January 16, 2008, and the contract will be awarded by the BPU by March.

The windmills would be built 3 to 20 miles offshore from Seaside Park to Stone Harbor. Plans are to provide capacity to generate up to 350 megawatts, enough to supply 125,000 homes. The winning company could get up to $19 million in initial funding support.

NEW HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTING PLANT OPENING IN KEARNY
H. D. Smith, a health care products and services company based in Springfield, Ill., is opening a new plant on an old brownfields site in Kearny.

The 211,000-square-foot building will be used for office space and distribution of drugs, home health care products and marketing services to retail pharmacies. More than 1,500 pharmacies in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut will be served by the Kearny facility.

SAYREVILLE GETS THREE REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS FOR LEAD SITE
The Sayreville Economic Redevelopment Agency board heard proposals from three developers for the 200-acre-plus former brownfields National Lead site. All three featured mixed-use development including 2,000-unit residential projects, a variety of high-rise and walkable shopping centers and hotels.

The three finalists are LCOR, of New York City; Riverbend Metropolitan of New Jersey and California, and O’Neill Properties, King of Prussia, PA. Middlesex County freeholders recently granted the Redevelopment Agency an extension until December 1, 2007, of a $37 million loan to condemn the site. The Agency said it hoped to designate a developer by November.

PLANS REVISED TO DIG DEEPER FOR NEW TRANS-HUDSON
RAIL LINE
NJ Transit has revised plans for the new $7.5 billion rail tunnel between New Jersey and New York. They now call for the tunnel to be 40-50 feet lower in Manhattan in the bedrock from the bank of the Hudson River to a new station at West 34th Street.

Trains to the proposed station would be 175 feet below the street, the equivalent of a 20-story residential building and more than four times as deep as today’s Penn Station. The planners said the changes would lessen the impact on streets, parks and businesses and commuter travel. Construction would no longer involve digging a trench under Manhattan’s west side and connecting to the 100-year-old Northeast Corridor infrastructure.

NJ Transit plans to hold public hearings on the revised plans in December and hopes to begin construction in 2009.

WELCOME TO THE NEW IZOD ARENA
Izod, the casual clothing brand, has won the competition for naming rights to the Continental Airlines Arena in the Meadowlands. Continental Airlines has had its name on the arena since 1996, but chose not to renew when its contract expires next year.

Izod’s parent company, Phillips-Van Heusen, offered to pay $1.2 million a year over three years for the naming rights. Continental this year paid $1.3 million.

MERCER ALLIANCE TO FEATURE TRENTON MAYOR DOUGLAS PALMER
The Mercer County Alliance for Action will meet on Friday, October 26, and will focus on several important issues for the region. 

            Speakers will include Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer who will be discussing Trenton’s Future, Richard Raczynski, P.E., Chief Engineer of the NJ Turnpike Authority will give an up-date on the authority’s widening projects and Michael McKay, Vice President-Facilities, Princeton University will give a presentation on the University’s Master Plan.  Co-Chairs of the Mercer County Alliance for Action are County Executive Brian Hughes, Ridgeley Hutchinson, Council Representative of Princeton Carpenters Local 781 and Robert Innocenzi, Consultant for Public Strategies Impact. The meeting site will be the Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Center, Trenton.  Registration is at 8:15 a.m. followed by the program at 9 a.m. To register Go Here.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
- Dennis Robinson, a top executive with the National Basketball Association, will succeed George Zoffinger as head of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.

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