NJ.com

February 02, 2010

By Ryan Hutchins

North Brunswick moves along with transit village plans

NORTH BRUNSWICK -- Millions of dollars in proposed work to Route 1 in North Brunswick – the first step toward preparing for the construction of a possible transit village on a former Johnson & Johnson site – could be considered later this month by the council.

Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack III said the panel is likely to start looking at the road project in two weeks. The work, which would cost more than $7.8 million, would be paid for by developers Prestige and TOD Associates, which also paid for the $100,000 study that recommended the improvements.

The Route 1 work would include changes at several intersections: Aaron Road, Finnagans Lane, Commerce Boulevard and Cozzens Lane.

If the road improvements actually happen, it would mark one of the biggest steps taken toward constructing the mixed-use complex of housing, retail stores and office space.

At this point, the project may still be a pipe-dream, but it seems to be getting increasing attention in North Brunswick. Last week, the township held a meeting with agencies to discuss the future of the transit village, and leaders will hold a public hearing on Feb. 11 to see what the community thinks.

The biggest obstacle is actually getting a station constructed at the site, which is located near the tracks of the Northeast Corridor line. “New Jersey Transit still views it as the right place for a train station,” Womack said. “In every aspect except available financing, it also seems to be the right time. But the Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit both indicated that obtaining the funds for the project is key.”

Those agencies wouldn’t say as much this week, however. DOT spokesman Joe Dee deferred to Dan Stessel, his counterpart at NJ Transit, who wouldn’t come out for or against having a station there.

“What we conveyed to the community is that it would be physically possible to build a station at that location,” Stessel said.

Building a station there would require support from Amtrak, which uses the Northeast Corridor. Several studies would need to be done, looking at a range of issues from the environmental impact to how a station would change the timing of trains. “It’s feasible.

That said, there’s a great deal of work that would need to take place,” Stessel said.

TOD Associates and Prestige, which is interested in building a BJ’s Wholesale Club on the site, are willing to move forward with the first-phase of the transit village without plans for a train station, Womack said. The first phase includes a hotel, residential units and retail space. A final phase would include additional retail and residential, as well as office space and a park-and-ride facility.

At the public hearing on Feb. 11, the mayor wants to hear from the public. Specifically, Womack said, he wants to know if the community is behind the proposal. That meeting will be at 7 p.m. at in the auditorium of North Brunswick High School.