Bill Text: NJ A4409 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires State agencies to vacate certain property in Trenton; allows EDA to offer incentives to private entities to locate to that property.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee [A4409 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4409-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State agencies to vacate certain property in Trenton; allows EDA to offer incentives to private entities to locate to that property.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the vacating of State offices on certain property and certain Economic Development Authority programs and supplementing P.L.1974, c.180 (C.34:1B-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Any State department or agency with offices located at 100 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, 200 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, 300 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, or 400 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, shall relocate its headquarters from 100 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, 200 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, 300 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, and 400 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, to new locations within the confines of the capitol city as expeditiously as is reasonably possible. Upon the effective date of this act, the department or agency shall pursue all legal and reasonable means available to terminate the leases for the Riverview properties, and shall cooperate with the landlord of each property to fill any space that becomes vacant as a result of the lease termination and relocation with new tenants as quickly as possible. The new location of a department or agency shall be suitable to the needs of the department or agency. Relocation from a building shall occur upon conclusion of an agreement to terminate the lease for that building with the landlord of that building.
2. a. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall seek to attract private entities to occupy any office space vacated or to be vacated by a State agency pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The authority shall give priority consideration for eligibility of any authority-administered business assistance program to a private entity seeking to occupy any office space vacated or to be vacated by a State agency pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
c. The authority, with the approval of the State Treasurer, shall modify its existing business assistance programs, where permissible by law, to give bonuses or other enhanced incentives to a private entity that locates to an office space vacated or to be vacated by a State agency pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Business assistance programs that may be modified may include, but are not limited to, the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program established pursuant to P.L.2011, c.149 (C.34:1B-242 et seq.) and the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program established pursuant to P.L.2009, c.90 (C.52:27D-489a et al.).
d. The authority is authorized to request assistance from any department, authority, commission, board, office, division, or agency of the State to provide any information, resources, or other assistance deemed necessary to discharge their responsibilities under P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), including, but not be limited to: the Department of Treasury for assistance with business funding assistance programs; the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for assistance in developing workforce development strategies; the Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Transit Corporation for assistance in enhancing public transportation networks and infrastructure; the Department of State to assist in business attraction efforts and advising on smart growth development strategies; and the Department of Community Affairs for assistance in expanding housing opportunities and the coordination with the Urban Enterprise Zone program.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires any State department or agency with offices located at 100 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, 200 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, 300 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, or 400 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, to relocate from Riverview Plaza in Trenton to a more appropriate location within the confines of the capitol city, suitable to its needs.
The relocation of the State departments and agencies would allow for economic development in a prime area of real estate in Trenton. Riverview Plaza is centrally located, with access to both the Delaware River and Route 29, and significant business and recreational attractions could develop there.
Additionally, this bill requires the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (authority) to seek to attract private entities to occupy all State agency-vacated office spaces at the Riverview Plaza buildings in Trenton until those office spaces are occupied by private entities. Those spaces are currently occupied, in part, by the Department of Education and the Office of Information Technology.
The bill requires the authority to give priority consideration for eligibility of any authority-administered business assistance program to a private entity seeking to occupy the office space identified in the bill. The authority, with the approval of the State Treasurer, is authorized to modify its existing business assistance programs where permissible by law, to give bonuses or other enhanced incentives to private entities that occupy the office space identified in the bill.
The bill requires the authority to work cooperatively with other State departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and authorities to explore and implement opportunities to direct resources to a private entity seeking to occupy the office space identified in the bill.
By maintaining offices of State departments and agencies in this location, an opportunity for economic development in Trenton, a city in desperate need of such development, is being squandered.
