Highlighting the 2023 stories that made an impact in Central Jersey
Welcome to the new year, which, by all indications, will be a pivotal year in America.
The year will be dominated by what promises to be one of the most volatile Presidential elections in recent history along with a brutal fight for control of both houses of Congress. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East will also grind on with no clear resolutions in sight.
And there will be news in 2024 that no one saw coming. Who could have foreseen in January 2020 the lasting impacts of a pandemic or the national demonstrations following George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis?
Of course, we have the Olympics to look forward to this summer and which Central Jersey athletes will try to bring home medals. We will also be on the edge of a total solar eclipse on April 8; in Central Jersey about 60% of the sun's disk will be obscured. It's the last total solar eclipse in America until 2044.
While much attention will be paid to events outside Central Jersey, we will keep our eye on the news that's important to the everyday lives of Central Jersey residents.
There will be no lack of news to cover in Central Jersey in 2024 and we'll be here to report it.
And we will continue to follow up on many of the important stories that we started to tell in 2023, like the following:
The killing of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour
Central Jersey found itself in the national spotlight when Eunice Dwumfour, the first Black woman elected to the Sayreville Borough Council, was fatally shot Feb. 1 outside her apartment.
As she sat in her car, Dwumfour was shot 14 times in what authorities called an "ambush."
The brutal slaying shocked Sayreville and Central Jersey. Speculation ran rampant who was the killer and why Dwumfour was shot.
The case remained a mystery until an exhaustive investigative by local law enforcement agencies and the FBI resulted in the arrest of Rashid Ali Bynum, a 29-year-old Virginia man, almost three months later.
Why Dwumfour was killed remains a mystery, but the case is moving forward in Middlesex County Superior Court.
The future of the Bridgewater Commons mall
Shopping malls across the country are facing an uncertain future as retail trends change with evolving technology. More and more Americans live within an hour of a "zombie mall" where most, if not all, of the stores are closed.
When Pacific Retail Capital Partners, based in Los Angeles, announced in May the acquisition of the 1.2 million-square-foot Bridgewater Commons, once considered Somerset County's downtown, and the adjacent 94,000-square-foot Village at Bridgewater Commons, the real estate company announced it wanted to "transform the mall into a vibrant mixed-use destination."
That immediately raised alarm bells among Bridgewater officials who feared part of the property could become multi-family housing. The township has vowed to oppose any move by Pacific Retail Capital Partners to develop housing.
In December, the closing of the sale of mall moved a step closer when the Township Council consented to the sale based upon a redevelopment agreement that any future construction does not include any residential housing as a permitted use.
How Pacific Retail Capital Partners plans to repurpose the mall may become one of the biggest stories of 2024.
The Bridgewater Commons was not the only Central Jersey shopping center facing change. In Flemington, plans for the transformation of Liberty Village, the nation's first outlet shopping center, into a multi-family residential community were downsized and are expected to be finalized early in 2024.
The multibillion dollar Raritan Bay redevelopment
Riverton, perhaps the biggest redevelopment project on the East Coast, is moving ahead on the banks of the Raritan River in Sayreville next to the Garden State Parkway.
The $2.5 billion mixed-use development at the former National Lead site. which stretches along two miles of the Raritan River, is proposed to include about 1.3 million square feet of retail and entertainment space, 2 million square feet of office and other commercial space and 2,000 residential units, which includes 300 affordable housing units. The development will be anchored by Bass Pro Shops.
The project also includes about 50 acres of open space, which is envisioned to have walking and biking paths, pocket parks and other public amenities along the waterfront. It will also include a heroes' walk, honoring local veterans.
In December, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority awarded more than $400 million in tax credits to the development.
Across the Garden State Parkway from Riverton, the Amboy Cinema complex was demolished, paving the way for a redevelopment plan, which proposes a variety of retail, hotel, recreation, office and professional uses.
The war against warehouses
Two Somerset County communities, Branchburg and Hillsborough, launched new artillery against warehouse construction – buying out developers who want to build warehouses, one of the hottest real estate investments in New Jersey.
While some towns welcome warehouses for their property tax revenues, jobs and no schoolchildren, other communities have mounted fierce opposition, mostly citing concerns about increased traffic on already congested roads.
In Branchburg, the township will be spending $28 million in property tax money to buy land in the Route 22 corridor to prevent warehouses from being built.
In Hillsborough, the township will buy two properties for $9.5 million that have been eyed for warehouses by one developer.
Franklin and Bridgewater are being challenged in court for ordinances that limit warehouse development. More than a half dozen developers are suing Franklin with most of their suits consolidated into one case.
The strip club in Sayreville
Sayreville couldn’t escape the news in 2023. If the news wasn't enough with the Dwumfour killing and the Riverton project, in November a state grand jury indicted seven individuals and three corporate entities, following an investigation into an alleged longstanding family-operated prostitution ring at Club 35.
The investigation into the strip club along Route 35 revealed that it doubled as a house of prostitution that generated millions of dollars in revenue, said state Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
Computer hard drives seized in a search of the club contained hundreds of hours of video surveillance footage from security cameras showing various dancers performing sexual acts on patrons in the VIP rooms. Evidence seized in a search of the club included hundreds of condoms, lubricant and sex toys, Platkin said.
In addition, Thomas Pollando, the former chairman of the Sayreville Democratic Party who died in December, was indicted on charges of accepting money in exchange for recommending that zoning or municipal codes not be enforced at Club 35, even though he knew the club was violating them.
Pollando's son and daughter-in-law have also been indicted.
The cases are still pending in Middlesex County Superior Court.
The New Brunswick renaissance continues
Investment in downtown New Brunswick's real estate market is continuing with the second phase of the New Jersey Health + Life Science Exchange, or HELIX, a $732 million project on four acres opposite the train station.
In recent years, New Brunswick has experienced public and private real estate investment totaling nearly $3 billion, with an additional $1 billion in the pipeline.
HELIX, to be built in three phases, will be the largest investment in life sciences and medical education in New Jersey.
But that isn't all that's happening in New Brunswick.
The city's Planning Board is holding hearings on a proposal to build The Liv, a 23-story apartment building, on the site of the New Brunswick Elks Club at 40 Livingston Ave. The Elks will still have a home – a 6,840-square-foot space on the first floor of the building that will have a total of 407 apartments.
And a quick note about our Needy Cases Fund program
We'll have more on this in the coming days, but we're delighted to report that community members answered our call to help their neighbors in need through our annual holiday charity program, which has raised more than $10,000 since Thanksgiving.
Thank you
There will be no lack of news to cover in Central Jersey in 2024, and we'll be here to report it. We thank you in advance for following along and sticking with us as your trusted local news source.
Joe Martino is editor of the Courier News, the Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com. He can be reached at jmartino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: The top stories of 2023 in Central Jersey
