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Mills Withdraws Empire Tract Application Developer’s good faith action tainted by Army Corps’ Response By Hugh M. Carola On July 16, 2003, the
Virginia-based Mills Corporation and its local partner Empire Limited of
Wood-Ridge withdrew their joint permit application before the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers to fill over 200 acres of wetlands in the Meadowlands. The
withdrawal ends almost 10 years of attempts by the partners to gain permission
to develop the 600-acre Empire Tract in Carlstadt. Earlier this year,
after unprecedented opposition to their application, Mills submitted an
alternate plan—to redevelop the Continental Airlines arena site—setting aside
earlier efforts to build “Meadowlands Mills,” a mega-mall, hotel and office
complex, at the Carlstadt location. The new plan for an entertainment complex
called “Xanadu” was approved in large measure because of Mills’ offer to donate
the entire Empire Tract to the Meadowlands Conservation Trust. While this is a real
victory for the Meadowlands, the victory was tempered somewhat by the Corps’
decision to keep the Empire Tract permit application “inactive” for a period of
one year until July 16, 2004. According to the Corps, if for some reason the
“Xanadu” project does not go forth, Mills would have the opportunity to reopen
its original “Meadowlands Mills” application within that year’s time. At this
time, however, no one expects the “Xanadu” project to be derailed despite a
legal challenge by Hartz Mountain Industries, which lost out to Mills in the
competition for the redevelopment contract.
“Despite the Corps’
equivocation, this is a real act of good faith on the part of both Mills and
Empire Limited,” said Captain Bill Sheehan, executive director of Hackensack
Riverkeeper. “It also sets the stage for the transfer of the Empire Tract to
the state for inclusion in the Meadowlands Estuary Preserve.” When dedicated,
the Preserve will encompass 8,400 acres of wetlands and waterways within the
32-square mile Hackensack Meadowlands District – essentially all of the
region’s remaining natural open space. For its part, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is in the process of purchasing the remaining 1,900 acres of privately owned wetlands
within the District and expects to close on more than 700 of them before the
end of this year. “Between the donation
of the Empire Tract and what the Commission will do this year, over 1,200 acres
of wetlands and open space will be permanently protected,” said Capt. Bill, who
led fights not only against the Mills Corporation but against the former
Hackensack Meadow-lands Development Commission. Looking back on the years of
the “swamp wars,” the Captain noted with pride that, “We at Hackensack
Riverkeeper are now actively working with the Commission to create the Preserve
and we expect our new neighbors, Mills and Mack-Cali, to accept the
responsibility that comes with operating a world-class entertainment venue in
the middle of a world-class wildlife habitat.” Looking ahead to a
future that will include not only America’s greatest urban wildlife refuge but
also more than $5 billion in redevelopment in the Meadowlands region, Captain
Bill added, “For a long time, people didn’t believe that we could have it both
ways but that’s exactly what we are going to have – a healthy economy and the Meadowlands Estuary Preserve.” |