FLORENCE: Redevelopment projects advance

By Charley Falkenburg, Special Writer
   FLORENCE — Plans for two of the town’s major redevelopment projects are closer to becoming a reality.
   The Township Council continued to make headway with the new Burlington Coat Factory headquarters and the former Marcella L. Duffy Elementary School at the Dec. 5 meeting by passing measures that enable both endeavors to move forward.
   Following a silent public hearing, a handful of residents watched as the council unanimously adopted an ordinance that confirmed the former elementary school on West Second Street could be converted into affordable housing.
   With that green light, it also tasked Moorestown Ecumenical Neighborhood Development Inc. (MEND), a nonprofit corporation, with developing 53 senior and disabled affordable housing units on the property.
   ”We met with MEND and others back in March to try and get the facility returned back into operation,” Mayor Craig Wilkie said. “MEND has made a commitment that they want to retain the building and expand up on it to keep its historical nature.”
   The Board of Education turned the school over to the town, and in 2011, it was deemed in need of redevelopment. Initially slated for demolition, the Planning Board decided Nov. 1 the structure could be saved and reused to promote the town’s affordable housing project.
   The project also includes privately owned property on the corner of Spring and West Second streets, which currently is occupied by a single-family home and detached garage, which also was declared in need of redevelopment. MEND plans on demolishing those structures on that property, which is under contract to be sold to the township, as part of the overall project.
   At a previous meeting, Thomas Sahol, the assistant municipal administrator, priced the overall purchase for the land and property at $175,000. He also said money would come out of the Coalition of Affordable Housing fund and would not be a burden on taxpayers.
   An ordinance for the conveyance, or transfer, of the property to MEND was introduced and is slated for a public hearing and adoption at the Dec. 19 meeting.
   Keeping the momentum going, the council approved a development agreement with Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Inc. that aims to revamp several vacant parcels of land along the Route 130 corridor into the company’s new national corporate office, warehouse and distribution center. The agreement follows the recently adopted ordinance council passed Nov. 19 that approved the company’s proposed redevelopment plan.
   It also introduced an ordinance that seeks to strike a financial agreement with the Burlington Coat Factory Florence Urban Renewal L.L.C by granting it tax exemption to help fund the multimillion dollar project. If granted, the town would approve a schedule of payments in lieu of taxes for the entity.
   Due to the economy slump and costs associated with the highway improvements, the Urban Renewal entity cited it would not proceed with the project without the tax exemption in its application.
   The first phase of the $40 million project focuses on the redevelopment of a building that is somewhere between 180,000 and 198,000 square feet with the potential of expanding up to 270,000 square feet in the second phase. Costs also include highway access improvements.
   In the proposed ordinance, the town concluded the project’s benefits outweighed the tax exemption by turning the land, which has been vacant more than 10 years, into productive job-creating property. It estimated that in the first several years, there would be between 250 and 300 temporary construction jobs and up to 800 permanent jobs.
   The public hearing potential adoption of the agreement is scheduled for the Dec. 19 council meeting.
   Before the meeting ended, resident Richard Lotter, of Walnut Court, praised the Public Works Department in its hard work during and after Hurricane Sandy.
   ”I want to give my appreciation to all the fellows in the municipal garage during the storm we had,” Mr. Lotter said. “The cleanup was quite a mess — even over at my house.”
   Council President Jerry Sandusky agreed with Mr. Lotter, adding the town recently recognized the department for its efforts.
   ”The mayor on behalf of the council did write a nice letter to the Public Works Department on the good job they did,” Mr. Sandusky said.