East Brunswick Mayor Talks Redevelopment In 1st Message Of 2022

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — In his first public address of the new year, Mayor Brad Cohen focused on the various redevelopment projects in the Township.

Redevelopment has been a major platform for Cohen when he ran for reelection in November 2020. Read More: Election Profile: Brad Cohen For Mayor, East Brunswick

The project on Edgeboro Road took major strides in the past year, Cohen informed residents. The industrial section in town has large areas of sandpits next to landfills. A tiny factory was operating a building there and paying small amounts of taxes to the town.

Developers proposed building a FedEx Fulfilment center and the project “came to fruition,” Cohen said. Built in the last year and a half, the 513,240 square-foot facility is expected to celebrate a grand opening in the next couple of weeks, Cohen said. They are currently working to hire people. The unique aspect of this FedEx facility is that a large portion of their vehicle will be electric.

The Mayor said the FedEx facility will be “bringing in 400,000 in taxes” compared to the 30,000-40,000 the Township previously received from the property owners. This will help provide relief to taxpayers.

The second project Cohen updated residents on was the one on Tices Lane, where the Wonderbread Factory once stood. The project brings to town mixed-used community spaces “broken up in thirds.” The portion closest to Tices Lane is going to have first-floor retail, with apartments above it. The middle section will be townhouses and duplex apartments, and the back third, sitting right behind Lowe’s, is going to be deeded back to the Township, Cohen said.

The Township plans to build a municipal-owned hockey rink in the 8 acres of land. This rink will be part of East Brunswick’s recreation utilities. The project is currently underway and the developers are laying the foundation for the first phase.

The developer will also widen Tices Lane so traffic can flow freely, without congestion. The project also helps satisfy a third of the Township’s affordable housing obligation mandate, Cohen said. As a result of a settlement in 2016, East Brunswick was mandated to build 315 housing units over a 10-year period.

The biggest and most-awaited project for the Township, Route.18, continues to be in limbo. Cohen said work on the project has been stalled currently owning to various lawsuits brought against the Township by landowners. Due to COVID-19 creating a backlog of cases, the legal system is currently moving slowly. But Cohen told residents the matter is expected to be resolved in the first half of 2022. Cohen reiterated the importance of regenerating a commercial corridor, to bring in much-needed economic revitalization to town.

For 2022, the Township is also looking to convert unused spaces that can be used for walking and recreation. Read More: East Brunswick's Beaver Dam Park To Officially Open Monday

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.

This article originally appeared on the East Brunswick Patch