A New Jersey judge effectively killed an ambitious downtown redevelopment project in Newark yesterday, ruling that the city’s decision to condemn 14 acres of property on behalf of a private developer was ill-conceived and wrong. The project, the Mulberry Street Redevelopment Project, a proposed collection of 2,000 market-rate apartments and stores in the shadow of the city’s new hockey arena, would have been the largest development initiative here in decades.
Judge Stops Newark Redevelopment Project
In her decision, Judge Marie P. Simonelli of Superior Court said the administration of Mayor Sharpe James misused the state’s rules on condemnation when it declared 62 parcels “an area in need of redevelopment.” She said the row houses, mechanics’ shops and parking lots, while somewhat tattered, were not “blighted” and suggested that the decision to condemn the property was politically motivated.
In her decision, Judge Simonelli mentioned the close links between the developers and the James administration, adding that large contributions had been made to the former mayor and the Municipal Council, whose approval was needed for the area’s condemnation.
Sound familiar?
2 comments:
Funny how they are able to find all those political crooks in Jersey all the time.
A Queens politician that transgresses is an aberration they tell us. He is treated like a silly choir boy who ate some green apples or smoked a corn cob pipe or got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Nothin' more than growing pains"
When it comes to catching a crook....especially a politician....
I favor the old Muslim law practice of cutting off the offending hand of a thief!
In the case of political crooks....you'd better make that both hands, feet and mouth !
Did I leave out any any other particular "offending" appendage ? !!!
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