Commercial and Residential Construction Begin

            Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that City officials joined developers and others for two ground-breaking ceremonies at the former Military Ocean Terminal (MOT) on April 11.

            Across from the new fire station on Chosin Few Way, City Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski began the Costco ground-breaking ceremony by saying, “Today is a great day for Bayonne.”  She reminded the audience that major construction was beginning at the former MOT “after eighteen years of false starts.”  Costco has a chain of warehouse department stores that offer consumer goods and multi-pump gas stations to the buying public. Council President Ashe-Nadrowski said that the new development would mean jobs for Bayonne residents and the arrival of ferry service.  “More and more good things are happening for Bayonne,” she said. 

Council President Ashe-Nadrowski pointed out that BCB Community Bank, a Bayonne-based financial business, is providing the financing for the Costco construction.  BCB President Thomas Coughlin exclaimed, “What an exciting time for Bayonne!”  He thanked the BCB loan team for working on the financial package for the store’s construction.  Mr. Coughlin also thanked Mayor Davis for bringing Costco to Bayonne.

Joseph Forgione, President and CEO of JMF Properties, the developer, said that he first met with Mayor Davis two years ago.  At that time, Forgione said, Mayor Davis asked him to bring a Costco store to Bayonne.  Now that construction is starting, Mr. Forgione said, “It’s exciting for Bayonne.” 

Mayor Davis thanked Council President Ashe-Nadrowski and the rest of the City Council Members for supporting economic development in Bayonne.  Mayor Davis noted that various people had made “many promises over the last eighteen years” concerning the former Military Ocean Terminal.  Mayor Davis said, “We are finally delivering on those promises.”  He pointed out that during the period of Bayonne’s ownership of the former military base, Bayonne has received little money from that property.  Mayor Davis said that now the land would be providing jobs and helping the finances of the City.  He referred to Costco as “one of the top employers,” and said that today was “a big day” and “a great day.”  Mayor Davis thanked BCB Community Bank for working with the City of Bayonne on the Costco development.

Following the spoken remarks, City officials, the developer, and BCB representatives posed with a construction worker and a piece of heavy equipment that broke ground for Costco.

After the ceremony at the Costco site, City officials moved to Atlantic Realty’s property in the Bayonne Bay area for a second ground-breaking ceremony.  Atlantic Realty will be constructing a 525-unit luxury townhouse development that will include a clubhouse.  Jack Halpern, Chairman of Halpern Enterprises and former President of Atlantic Realty, thanked Mayor Davis “for his leadership.”   Mayor Davis said that the Atlantic Realty development would create “a new revenue stream for Bayonne,” and would also attract new residents to the community.  He thanked the City Council, Land Use Administrator Lillian Glazewski, and engineering consultant Andy Reichle for their work on the project.  City officials joined the management of Atlantic Realty for a ground-breaking with ceremonial shovels.

The Atlantic Realty development will include townhouse buildings designed by Berkowsky and Associates of Cranbury, New Jersey, and a clubhouse designed by the Appel Design Group of Livingston, New Jersey.