LINDEN — As the city keeps working to evolve from its image as an heavily industrial municipality, and several projects are planned or under way this year for former industrial sites.
Most notable is the 104-acre former General Motors tract along routes 1 and 9, which was bought by Duke Realty. A Lowe's home-improvement store and Super Walmart are planned once the state Department of Transportation signs off on intersection-improvement permits.
Six other retail stores are expected to sign contracts for the Duke property once the anchor stores are committed, Mayor Richard Gerbounka announced Tuesday during his 2010 State of the City address.
Ground-breaking is expected in early spring.
"When this site is fully developed, an economic assessment study projects there will be 2,040 permanent jobs and $5.2 million in tax dollars," Gerbounka said.
His speech was made during the City Council's reorganization meeting, which also including the swearing-in for new three-year terms of Councilman Christopher Kolibas, who represents Ward 1, and Councilman Robert Frazier, who represents Ward 9.
Gerbounka, up for re-election this year after one term in office, said this month the city's Planning Board will be reviewing an application by PSE&G to locate 11 acres of solar panels on its property off Grasselli Road in the heavily industrial Tremley Point section of the city. The panels will produce 4 megawatts of electricity.
The city expects to receive $300,000 in new ratables from three large transformers at the Linden Cogen Power Plant owned by General Electric. The transformers allow the two major northeastern power grids of New York and New Jersey to share electricity during peak demand.
About 400 acres of brownfields in the Tremley Point section of the city will be opened for redevelopment once a four-lane access road from Exit 12 of the New Jersey Turnpike in Carteret to Tremley Road is completed. The road is being financed with about $34 million in federal stimulus funds, Gerbounka said.
Gerbounka said the access road will also offer Linden residents relief from excessive truck traffic on South Wood Avenue.
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