By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
Jobs, jobs and more jobs. The defunct Princeton University arts and transit project would have brought several hundred stable construction jobs to the Princeton area.
”This is an opportunity for job growth in Central Jersey to the tune of $350 million dollars,” said Assemblyman Wayne D’Angelo, who represents the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as the assistant business manger and is president of the Mercer/Burlington Counties Building Trade Council.
”We’re at 9 percent unemployment on the statewide average, but the construction trades are experiencing 30 to 40 percent unemployment,” he said. “We live where we work, we’re territorial. We’re the men and women that utilize the small stores and restaurants where we live and work in our communities.”
A project of this scope and length would have produced 300 to 400 stable jobs for the six-year time period projected for construction.
”These are all jobs that are paid prevailing wage,” he said. For comparison, the recent chemistry building construction on campus generated 225 jobs.
Prevailing wage varies from specialty to specialty from $35 to $45 an hour for skilled trades electricians, equipment operators and the like, plus benefits.
The jobs would have not just infused spending in to the Princeton economy, it would have generated tax dollars for the local municipalities and state.
Mr. D’Angelo does not represent the Princetons, which are in the 15th Legislative District, and Mr. D’Angelo represents the neighboring 14th district, but says “We need to … recognize what we do as a community affects other communities.
”We need to look at more regional approach and how we impact each other.”
For instance, the Dinky travels from Princeton to the Princeton Junction train station in West Windsor, which is planning it’s own transit village.
”As we look at the growth for their transit village and the growth the university wants to do with arts and entertainment, it seems like excellent smart growth,” he said.
Last November, the West Windsor Township Council reached a settlement with Princeton-based InterCap Holdings to move forward with its transit village design located on 25 acres off Washington Road, adjacent to the Princeton Junction train station. The design is the core of the township’s redevelopment plan, which was adopted in March 2009. The village will include 70,000 square feet of retail space, 800 residential units and an open-air promenade for integrated pedestrian and car traffic.
”I agree with Assemblyman D’Angelo that this is a regional issue and my concerns are that rail service to Princeton remains a critical transportation link in our region,” said Andrew Koontz, Mercer County freeholder. “We need to continue to fight to preserve and enhance the service while at the same time ensuring that the service remains accessible to an important downtown in our region.”
