By Amy Batista, Special Writer
EAST WINDSOR – East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov delivered the annual State of East Windsor Township address last week offering commercial development updates, citing the township budget that saw no tax increase as well as updates on township recreation and open space projects, local roadway improvements, environmental initiatives, and other local topics of interest.
“We want you to be informed, you are the business community, of what’s happening in your town,” said Robert Prunetti, MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “We want the mayor and government of that town to be part of us.”
He said it’s all about building better communities.
“When we have better communities, we’ll have better business environment, better business environment then you will do better in business,” he said.
The luncheon event was held May 5 at the Holiday Inn East Windsor and was hosted by the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce.
The mayor’s annual address included a report on accomplishments in 2015 as well as township goals for 2016. Around 120 local business, elected officials and community members attended the event, according to officials.
The mayor said that once again, there will be no tax increase in the East Windsor municipal budget.
“For four years the East Windsor municipal rate has remained the same for 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013,” she said, adding that they are very proud of that.
“We have also made some changes in the dispatch area,” she said, adding the township has a new shared services agreement with Hightstown Borough.
“Those arrangements will provide for East Windsor taxpayers a direct savings and revenue addition over the next five years of $607,00,” said the mayor.She said that those are the types of actions and innovations that allow the township to be able to maintain the fiscal record and still continue to provide the same high level of services to its residents and to their businesses.
She said that one of the big new businesses coming to East Windsor is Aurobindo.
“They will be beginning construction on Windsor Center Drive area of the 567,000 square foot new facility,” she said, adding they are a pharma company based originally in India.
The Aurobindo project is expected to bring an additional 300 to 400 employees to East Windsor Township, she added.
The mayor said that another major project that is also moving forward is referred to as Project Tara.
“It’s a redevelopment of a former NL, National Lead, sites on Wyckoff Mills Road and there is an approved 635,000 square foot facility that will be moving forward with final arrangements,” she said.
Another project planned is the Gateway Twin Rivers.
“This is on Mildford Road right across from one of our great premier companies, Conair,” she said. “They are currently in a planning approval process to add over 478,000 square feet of space in East Windsor just off the turnpike area.”
Another one of the companies that is engaged once again in another expansion is Shiseido.
“They are adding an additional 75,000 square feet bringing their footprint to over 310,000 square feet,” she said, adding it is to accommodate the growth and to relocate the operations and the employees of the Davlyn Industries which is located in Monroe Township.
Hovione, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Portugal, will be adding 28,000 square feet to its existing -square-foot facility located at 40 Lake Drive. A new pharma company called Fordoz Phama will be occupying the former Lavipharm 45,000 square foot facility located on 69 Princeton Hightstown Road. On Lake Drive, SJ Pharma is in the process of taking steps to outfit and clean out the 45,000 square foot facility.
Next, she discussed retail shopping centers in the township including new ones and upgrades as well as new tenants that have moved in over the last year.
“We got as everyone knows the best retail corridor areas in the entire region,” she said, adding along Route 130 and along Route 571 and up Route 33.
Among those the mayor cited were The Shoppes at East Windsor; the Galleria at East Windsor; Lightbridge Academy; the Carduner Center; East Windsor Village; and East Windsor Bowl Recreation.
Mayor Mironov said that a major project that is in construction right now is the Woods at East Windsor.
“We are here to work with you,” she said. “We’re here to partner with you. We’re here to support you in any reasonable way that we can and that we hope going forward that all of us together will have a tremendous, prosperous year with lots of great things coming together for all of our businesses and everyone in our great community and our state.”
