Curtains come down on Empire Tract development

By Captain Bill Sheehan

Lately a lot of people have been asking our opinions concerning the redevelopment options for the Continental Arena site. Needless to say, we have some pretty strong ideas. Many people have also been asking us if there’s anything they can do to make sure that regardless of what happens to the Arena, the Empire Tract wetlands get saved.

A quick bit of history: In 1996, The Virginia-based Mills Corporation proposed to fill in over 200 acres of the Tract to build “Meadowlands Mills,” a mega-mall, hotel and office complex. They also proposed an ill-conceived mitigation plan that would have transformed the remaining 400 acres of wetlands into their personal storm sewer. 

Since 1996, Hackensack Riverkeeper, our colleagues in conservation, and you, our supporters, have never once wavered in our position that the Empire Tract is an integral part of the Meadowlands ecosystem. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Environmental Protection Agency have all gone on record indicating that the Empire Tract wetlands are of national and regional importance. Numerous preeminent wetlands scientists have submitted data and opinions regarding the site’s importance to the ecology of the entire Meadowlands.

From the beginning, the proposed project has been debated, fought and for all intents and purposes stopped. In light of the above, I firmly believe that no one – not even the Mills Corporation itself – thinks that “Meadowlands Mills” will ever see the light of day.

But Mills is still determined to build something here and has spent literally tens of millions of dollars in the attempt.  They have embraced an opportunity that I pointed out to them as far back as 1996: to redevelop the Continental Arena site. I suspect that most of you are fairly well-versed in their new plan as well as the competing proposals by Westfield and Hartz. What sets the Mills proposal apart from the others however, is what the company proposes to do with the Empire Tract. 

Mills and its partner, Mack-Cali, have offered to donate the Empire Tract in its entirety to the state of New Jersey for conservation if and when their Arena redevelopment proposal is approved. In short, the state – and Bergen County – would receive 600 acres of critical open space and wildlife habitat at no cost to taxpayers. Sounds good, eh?  Well, no sooner had Mills made the offer but the NJ Department of Transportation and the Port Authority began secret negotiations on how to turn the Tract into a massive wetlands mitigation bank – a designation that could fast track wetlands destruction elsewhere in the New York / New Jersey harbor.

The Record reported on Nov. 21, 2002 that Governor McGreevey might prefer that the Empire Tract be turned over to the NJ Sports & Exposition Authority for, among other things, a practice field for the New York Jets! It is outrageous that our Governor – a man who collected every environmental endorsement possible during his gubernatorial campaign – would even consider such a travesty. While the title to the Empire Tract may be part of the bargain, the protection of the Tract as a wetland is the only acceptable option that we will support.

 Governor McGreevey should take a long, hard look at the statements he made about the Meadowlands – the real Meadowlands, not the Arena – during the campaign. During his endorsement interview with The Record he stated, “I concur with the opinion expressed by Acting Governor DiFrancesco…” regarding the conservation of the Meadowlands in general and the Empire Tract in particular. Among other points, Mr. DiFrancesco had stated publicly that Mills should not be permitted to build in wetlands.

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission to its credit has adopted a conservation ethic for the Meadowlands and as you are reading these words, the Commission is preparing a new Master Plan for the region. Under the Plan, all of the remaining wetlands of the Meadowlands will be preserved. According to NJMC Executive Director Bob Ceberio, “The best plan for the Meadowlands is one with no wetlands loss.”

So here’s where we are: The NJMC, Mills, Riverkeeper, and the people of the Meadowlands region all support the preservation of the Empire Tract.  But we are all still waiting for the Governor to embrace the same. Write, fax or e-mail Governor McGreevey TODAY.  Tell him that you want the Empire Tract preserved, protected and restored for conservation. Period. Tell him to do the right thing.

 

Governor James E. McGreevey

PO Box 001

Trenton, NJ 08625

Phone: 609-292-6000

Fax: 609-292-3454

To send him an e-mail, go to: www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html

 

My friends, we are literally in the last act of this absurd drama. With just a little more help on all our parts we will bring down the final curtain. Thank you for all you’ve done.