Housing Bargain, Ship Cargo Increases, Pettys Island, Kudos Chris, Et Cetera | cnbnews.net
Sunday, January 22, 2012
BY BILL CLEARY
HOUSING BARGAIN -The selling price of the Meadow Brook Mews townhomes has
been lowered to $137,500 and range up to $149,500. However, City Administrator Jack Lipsett said the steep discount is intended to jump-start the project and is solely for 6 of the 50 homes.The listed price in 2010 was between $180,000 and $195,000. The price was lowered the following year to $167,000 to $195,000.
The property, which is owned by the City of Gloucester City, was known as the Chatham Square Apartments purchased with bonds by the City in 2007 for $4.25 million. In 2010 the City hired Orens Brothers of Philadelphia to convert the 100 apartments complex, located at Rt. 130 and Klemm Avenue, into 50 town houses. Orens Brothers is using $1.2 million from the City’s UDAG fund to redevelop the property. About a dozen of the apartments are still occupied and the tenants pay rent to the city. Labbree Reality is acting as the City’s rental agent for those apartments and receives a percentage rate that ranges between 5 and 6 percent for his services.
See the Chatham Square Boon Doggle
See the More Things Change etc
DELAWARE RIVER SHIP CARGO INCREASED IN 2011-Gloucester Terminals LLC, in Gloucester City NJ handled 202 ships last year compared to 150 in 2010. The main cargoes were steel and fruit said Leo Holt, president of Holt Logistics Corp said. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that 64 ships docked last year at the Beckett Street Terminal in Camden, compared with 62 in 2010, carrying bulk commodities, plywood, cocoa beans, steel, and scrap. Broadway Terminal logged 19 ship arrivals, compared with 18 in 2010, said the Maritime Exchange. At the Port of Philadelphia, the total number of cargo ships docked on that side of the river was 2,183 in 2011, up from 2,028 in 2010.
ANOTHER PLAN FOR PETTYS ISLAND-The Southern New Jersey Development Council announced recently that the uninhabited 400- acre Burlington Island that sits in the Delaware River is being envisioned as a historical theme park. The island is just north of the Burlington-Bristol Bridge, and is officially part of Pennsauken Township. The site has been the focus of numerous development projects over the years that haven’t panned out. Mount Holly developer Karen Robbins says she plans to make the island into a replica of a 17th-century Indian village with a trading post and fort. Robbins’ company was chosen three years ago to develop the site. Plans have been drawn up and the company is focusing on raising money. Plans are proceeding despite the fact the state Department of Environmental Protection is considering using part of the island to dump dirt from Delaware River dredging.
KUDOS CHRIS-Fifty-three percent of Garden State voters approve of Gov. Chris Christie's job performance, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll conducted from Jan. 10 to Jan. 16 while 39 percent did not — down slightly from the 56 percent who approved and the 38 percent who didn't two months ago. Christie has not dipped below 50 percent in a Quinnipiac poll since August, when 47 percent of all registered voters approved of the job he was doing, and 46 percent didn't.
The Governor is holding a Town Hall meeting in Vineland on Thursday. The session is planned for 1:30 p.m. at the Vineland National Guard Armory, 2560 S. Delsea Drive. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.
ET CETERA-City Administrator Jack Lipsett said the Gloucester City Food Bank has been moved to the Pine Grove Fire Hall, Jersey Ave. and 8th Street. Asked about the rumor that the WaWa on Market Street was moving to Route 130 and Market Street Lipsett said that site is owned by the State DOT. “Before that could happen the state would have to sign the site over to the City. That is still a long ways off, if it happens at all.”
As for the rumor about putting solar panels at South Port, Lipsett said, “There are a number of things we are looking at for that area, and that is just one of them.”
