Businesses moving to, building in towns.

ECONOMIC CLIMATE: In part three of our series on the economy, the Herald finds the commercial development business in Hightstown and East Windsor doing well.

By: Chris Karmiol and Scott Morgan
   As a drive down Route 130 attests, business is still booming in East Windsor. Commercial development continues its upward trajectory as shopping centers emerge, corporations drop anchor and retailers open doors in the township.
   Despite national indications toward a recession, the local economy, as gauged by commercial development, remains steady and promising.
   "I’ve been experiencing in the last year or so some of the busiest times I’ve ever had," said Maury Hageman, a commercial real estate specialist who has been doing business in the Hightstown-East Windsor area for close to 40 years. "Maybe some people are being a little more cautious, but people are still out looking."

   East Windsor has seen the birth of a new shopping center, East Windsor Village, the revitalization of several other shopping centers, and a new Home Depot on the way in the new year, while continuing to draw the interest of corporations relocating and expanding, and new businesses setting up shop in town.
   "We have several projects that are either under way or are about to get under way in the next several months," said Janice Mironov, who is expected be sworn-in this weekend to her seventh consecutive term as mayor of East Windsor.
   These projects include a recently approved Hampton Inn on Monmouth Street between Woodside Avenue and Route 33; an Eckerd drug store under construction on the corner of Route 130 and Dutch Neck Road; and a new CVS store at the Twin Rivers Shopping Center off Route 33.
   The township also will see the influx of new office and corporate facilities as well as a new Pizza Hut, according to the mayor. In an economy that has appeared to be faltering as of late on a national scale, this region’s commercial promise seems unscathed.
   While the township continues to develop commercial properties, the borough faces a different sort of economic variable.
   Unlike its neighbor, which still has vast areas of commercially viable property, Hightstown is commercially built-out. Rather than building out, then, borough officials are putting their faith in rebuilding commercial space in the downtown business district.
   The borough’s downtown revitalization project, which officially kicked-off in November when a contractor was brought aboard, seeks to rejuvenate interest in pedestrian traffic and visitors to Hightstown, according to Borough Council President Mike Vanderbeck. Mr. Vanderbeck said that in the absence of buildable commercial space, business owners are buying into commercial properties in an effort to get involved on the ground floor of the revitalization.
   Of course, a necessity for revitalizing any business district is a strong customer base. And just because there is no commercial space to develop does not mean there is no available residential space — hence, the possible development of an age-restricted community near Wyckoff’s Mill Road.
   The proposed development, which Mr. Vanderbeck admitted is still "a little while off" could bring that solid customer base to downtown businesses. He said the community would be within walking distance of the downtown eateries and shops and would, therefore, provide an invaluable flow of patrons and revenue to the downtown core.
   "The mix we have downtown would be well served (by such residents)," Mr. Vanderbeck said.
   Whether revitalizing existing properties or developing new ones, the East Windsor-Hightstown area benefits from a number of favorable conditions.
   "Hightstown and East Windsor have got the three most important things in real estate," explained Mr. Hageman.
   Those ingredients are, of course, location, location and location. With easy access to New York City, Philadelphia, Princeton and the New Jersey Turnpike, business people see East Windsor as ideal when scouting land to develop, Mr. Hageman said.
   Location alone, however, has not won the township its spate of recent development. Mayor Mironov and her administration, through a privately funded study done in 1996, examined the town’s commercial potential and what steps it should take to attract businesses to East Windsor. Since then, the mayor said, the township has tried to ensure its procedures were clearly spelled out and accessible.
   "We have a book we put together for those interested in permitting and application approval," Mayor Mironov said. "We’ve designed a number of marketing tools — a new brochure, a videotape that was professionally and privately developed for the town."
   These tools helped bring the township commercial success, attracting businesses such as Shisheido, Conair, and Lavipharm, as well as wooing companies away from other towns, Mayor Mironov said. Airborne Express relocated to East Windsor from another town in Mercer County, Lexicon relocated from Middlesex County, and Lavipharm chose the town over several other sites, the mayor said.
   "We’re not giving them breaks or financial incentives of any kind," she said. "We’re giving them an outstanding location, an attractive community, a government that works cooperatively and in a timely fashion to address their business needs, and good local service. And a good value."
   Scott Haldeman, who recently took over the Ford dealership on Route 130 at Hickory Corner Road, recognized the qualities East Windsor has to offer a growing company. He said he sees a positive road ahead where sales are concerned.
   "East Windsor is a very stable community," he said, "so there’s not much concern. For us in the retail business there’s a good income bracket, lots of new homes and Ford’s product does really well here."
   "People are positive about the economy," Mr. Hageman said. "We’ve just gone through the largest expansion in the history of the economy. While there’s been some breaks and certain segments are hurting, the general economy is on the expansion track."
   As long as that expansion continues, commercial development will thrive, he explained.
   "You’d better believe before the builders come out to invest the kind of money they are they’ve done their feasibility studies," Mr. Hageman said. "They know pretty much what they’re going to earn in any particular area."
   Though no one holds a crystal ball to what the economic future will bring, commercial development in the township should continue its upward surge. Hovione, a Portuguese-based pharmaceutical company is building a facility on Lake Drive, and the Conair Corp. is increasing its size by 50 percent, according to Mayor Mironov.
   "There still is a generous amount of land available for commercial development," the mayor said. She added that only 50 percent of available land in East Windsor is currently developed.
   The benefits commercial development offer the local economy, the mayor said, are significant.
   "(Businesses) become local taxpayers to help the community," she said. "They offer jobs. We have a great many residents who are employed at Conair, Shisheido, McGraw-Hill and many of them in addition to that are good civic neighbors throughout the year, and help support many projects and activities throughout the community."