Carteret targets ferry service, film studio, arts center as mayor begins 21st year in office

CARTERET - As Carteret looks forward to starting a ferry service to Manhattan, expanding the downtown cultural arts and business district and even developing a film studio on the former DuPont property, the borough's mayor of the last two decades will be leading the charge.

Mayor Daniel J. Reiman, 46, was sworn in Jan. 6 to his sixth consecutive four-year term by New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin at the 118th Borough Council Reorganization Ceremony.

Reiman is the first person in the borough's history to be elected to six consecutive four-year mayoral terms. He was first elected to the Borough Council in 2000 at the age of 24 and became the youngest person elected mayor in Carteret in 2002 at age 26.

“You need only to take a ride around this town to see the impact that he and his efforts have made. I love to talk about Carteret and its renaissance, but what is central to that is the leadership of Dan Reiman, who, we all know is driven … but the truth of the matter is, his determination, doggedness and unwillingness to accept anything less than what is best and right for the Borough of Carteret is what has made him so successful and the town so fortunate and prosperous," Coughlin said.

Coughlin was joined by Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, D-19th District, Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios, Middlesex County Commissioner Charles Kenny, and former Gov. Jim McGreevey.

Also sworn in during the reorganization ceremony at URSB Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center were Councilmen Vincent Bellino and Jorge Diaz, who was named council vice president. Councilman AJ Johal was named the council president, the borough’s first Asian-American to hold that position.

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Reiman highlighted a few of the accomplishments during his tenure, including possession of the first 149-passenger ferry boat, the Theodore Roosevelt, and the construction of a second 149-passenger ferry boat; initiating ferry service, construction of the Carteret Intermodal Transportation Building which will feature a ferry terminal, restaurant, retail, banquet center and office space.

Also planned is expansion of the Downtown Cultural Arts & Business District, and more shows and community programming at the URSB Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center as well as park improvements with county and municipal Open Space and state Green Acres funds to expand passive and active recreational opportunities.

“These initiatives will continue to attract commercial development and union construction jobs, as well as long-term good-paying jobs for residents within our town,” Reiman said. “One such development is the proposed film studio project on the former DuPont chemical site. Once completed, this $1 billion union project will not only feature a film production facility, but also hotels, dining, shopping, with many other opportunities for our residents."

More:Carteret's second ferry to Manhattan will cost $10 million

“These developments and so many others will, in addition to bringing jobs, allow us to continue to hold the line on municipal taxes,” the mayor said, adding this year Carteret will have the largest surplus in the borough's history.

Under Reiman’s administration, Carteret has pursued and received hundreds of millions in grant funding, as well as more than $1 billion in private investment. The administration also has won landmark awards and settlements against past chemical operators who polluted and abandoned parcels of property in the Carteret industrial and waterfront areas.

Carteret is home to companies such as Amazon, FedEx, NASDAQ, Equinix, Graybar Electric, and Union Carbide.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Carteret targets ferry service, film studio, arts center as mayor begins 21st year in office