BY ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
EDISON — If you’re going to build a mammoth mixed-used hub and cannot count on people coming to it, you’re inviting trouble.
That’s the philosophy of Secaucus-based Hartz Mountain Industries, the contracted developer of the Ford Motor Co. site on Route 1.
Hartz last week launched its series of town meetings on the redevelopment of the now shuttered 102-acre tract. The Ford plant, the workplace to some 900 for 50 years, closed its doors in February.
The developer would like to break ground on the site April 1. To ensure a smooth transition to that goal, Hartz says it wants to inform the public properly so the process for development will be expedited.
In doing so, the commercial real estate giant expressed a foremost concern about its mixed-use redevelopment project: Building a development that people will gravitate to is important because "if you don’t come, we’re in trouble," said Walter Smith, Hartz’s executive vice president of development, Aug. 12 at the Clarion Hotel, Route 27 during the company’s first in a series of informational meetings.
About 100 residents were happy to hear that the developer was offering a listening ear on the subject. However, the fear remained that the negative effects of traffic and density may be overlooked for the sake of a high tax ratable and developer profit.
The property is assessed at $48 million. Ford currently pays $1.8 million in annual property taxes. With the anticipated $200 million development, the tax bill is expected to exceed $7.2 million.
While Smith stressed the developer’s desire to bring 18-hour-a-day retail and entertainment amenities to the site, residents leaned more toward civic and cultural uses.
Some balked at the prospect of nearly round-the-clock business operations that could draw more cars than the infrastructure could handle.
Route 1 is already clogged with traffic, many said. What about the needs and safety of the area’s youth? asked resident James Daly. A community center would best serve that population and keep traffic at bay, he added.
Others agreed. Many shared the sentiment that while there was much room for redevelopment and improvement at the site, they were not so sure that Hartz was very concerned with quality of life when so much money was riding on the development.
A lot of people noted that the developer is not exactly known for its parks and recreation — quite the opposite.
Calling attention to some of its development successes in Jersey City, New York City and Secaucus, Smith said the Edison center would bring plenty of opportunity for people to recreate and stroll from stores to hotels to offices to restaurants. There may even be walking and biking trails intertwined in what they have dubbed a "lifestyle center," Smith said.
"Who are they kidding?" said south Edison resident Anthony Russomanno outside of the meeting. "If you know anything about this developer, you have to know that this thing is going to be huge."
Hartz Mountain advertises that it owns and manages one of the largest privately held commercial real estate portfolios in the United States, comprised of approximately 200 properties and totaling more than 35 million square feet in the northern New Jersey/New York area.
"Considering their reputation, I have to think that instead of the major redevelopment area to benefit residents, it really, so far, seems like a large-scale conference center and commercial strip," Russomanno said. "I think it’s great that they want to invest in Edison. Something to transform the area is definitely needed. But don’t just disguise a huge development that will bring tons of traffic with a couple of walkways."
The residents of south Edison, he said, were "snubbed" from the public input process from the onset.
"Hartz didn’t even notify us by mail about the meetings, like they did other people in town," Russomanno said. "One of the representatives ended up apologizing to us for that, but it just made us think that maybe we’ll have to form our own organization so we’ll have more assurance of not being ignored in the future."
Hartz has already met with the township’s environmental and open space contingents. The company promised to touch base and gather input from all community concern groups.
Ford was granted its permits to demolish the plant right before the forum was held. Demolition began Monday.