SRP Publications Brownfields Reports 2001

New Jersey Brownfield Projects Receive National Phoenix Awards Showcasing Excellence in Cleanup and Redevelopment

The Phoenix Awards were created in 1997 to recognize individuals and groups who are working to solve the critical environmental problem of transforming abandoned industrial areas into productive new uses. The awards honor individuals and groups that have implemented innovative, yet practical, programs that remediated environmental contamination at brownfield sites and simultaneously stimulated economic development and job creation or retention. New Jersey projects have received Phoenix Awards in each of the last three years and are featured in photographs on this Web page. The awards seek to showcase these successful solutions and publicize these premier redevelopment projects as models for other communities around the country.

	The first New Jersey brownfield site to receive a Phoenix Award was a waterfront redevelopment project in the capital City of Trenton involving a 31-acre former steel plant, pictured above, that was turned into a successful commercial complex along the Delaware River. The project features a restaurant and entertainment facility, pictured, as well as a minor league baseball stadium, office buildings and open space.
	The Edison Crossroads project received a national Phoenix Award in 2000 for its large-scale commercial project along Route 1 in Middlesex County. The redevelopment project included excavation and removal of contaminated soil and underground storage tanks and buildings. Previously the site housed a steel tubing and floor tile manufacturing facility that had been dormant for several years.
	Fastenal is located in one the many buildings that form the U.S. Route 1 Commerce Center, a 78,800 square foot industrial park on 11 acres of city property across the street from a residential neighborhood. A Community Impact Award was presented to the City of Trenton and developers of the brownfield project that reclaimed a former porcelain factory.
	Pictured at the September 2001 National Brownfields Conference in Chicago where a Phoenix Community Impact award was presented for the U.S. Route 1 Commerce Center project are representatives of developer L&F Urban Renewal Properties, City of Trenton, NJDEP, USEPA, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and other selection committee members.
	The sleek, modern design inside Jersey Gardens Mall greets the many shoppers visiting the retail shops and food court. A wetland restoration project was completed adjacent to the mall along Newark Bay that attracts frequent visits from a diverse mix of wildlife.

The awards are presented each year at the National Brownfields Conference. One winner is selected from each of USEPA’s 10 regions and additional special winners will be selected for their innovative techniques, cooperative multiple party efforts and community impacts. Recognition is given to both small entities as well as large. These excellent brownfield projects are further showcased on the Internet at www.phoenixawards.org.

Two New Jersey brownfield projects received Phoenix Awards in 2001 at the national Brownfields Conference in Chicago. A Community Impact Award was presented to the City of Trenton and the developers of the U.S. Route 1 Commerce Center, a 78,800 square foot industrial park on 11 acres of city property. Formerly the location of Crane Pottery works, a large porcelain manufacturing facility that closed in the late 1960s, the city worked with both NJDEP and USEPA to address environmental contamination and market the location to developers. The first factory on the Crane site, a 10,000 square foot facility for ANA Design, a candle manufacturer, opened its doors in early 1998, while six additional businesses have opened in adjacent buildings at the Commerce Center. The businesses located at the former Crane site have generated 72 full time jobs and 11 part-time jobs.

The OENJ Elizabeth Metro Center in Elizabeth received a Phoenix Award for the best project in USEPA’s Region II that also includes the State of New York. Known as the Jersey Gardens Mall today, the massive retail outlet center opened in October 1999 after six years of planning and coordination with various state, county and local agencies. Located on a 126-acre former landfill that was capped with recycled materials, Jersey Gardens Mall provides millions in annual tax benefits for the area and 5,000 job opportunities at the 1.3 million square foot location. The site is located near New Jersey Turnpike Exit 13A within the city’s urban enterprise zone. Roadways and other land parcels adjacent to the mall site required major road improvements and separate landfill remediation by several state agencies to provide access. An adjacent 20 acres also is under development by OENJ/ Cherokee as an office complex on Newark Bay under NJDEP oversight.

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