NJ Motorsports park

I found this on another board, really good news for those of us who voluntarily suffer Pocono because it's close to home:

I know a month or two ago there were many nay sayers, who claimed they knew people who knew people who said NJ Motorsports Park would never happen. Each day it is looking better and better. The following letter written by Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, seems very positive on NJ motorsports park becoming a reality.



Motorsports park will create jobs and cost taxpayers nothing

By Jeff Van Drew



It took years of work by everyone -- including my colleague and friend, Nelson Albano, plus grass roots support and, eventually, that of key legislators -- to overcome what many said were obstacles that couldn't be hurdled to open the sports and entertainment district in Cumberland County.



But on Dec. 14, Cumberland County claimed victory for A-3835. Now, at long last, both the Assembly and Senate have adopted legislation that will facilitate the creation of a special motorsports and entertainment district in Cumberland County, a project that I am confident will generate millions of dollars in revenue and new jobs for the county.



This triumph of will, determination and perseverance was a team effort by professionals, the unions, individuals from many walks of life, and local, county and state elected officials. Also important to this success story were meetings with Gov. Jon S. Corzine.



Putting it another way, I was not going to take no for an answer. I simply made up my mind that this project -- the most significant piece of economic development legislation for South Jersey since some of our casino legislation -- was going to become a reality. And now it will.



Not only will the sports and entertainment district be instrumental in revitalizing the economy of our region, its adoption demonstrated how difficult it is to achieve the goal of gaining approval for a piece of legislation. In the more than three years since I first introduced the measure, it went through committees and the full Assembly process three times. It required several meetings with the chairman of the Commerce and Economic Growth Committee, four meetings with the Senate president and five meetings with the Assembly Budget Committee chairman, and necessitated countless hours of work with Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts to ensure the support of the Assembly leadership.



Why did I feel so strongly about A-3835? Economics, pure and simple. Our region is uniquely situated to take advantage of the growth industry that motorsports and entertainment represents. As such, I am hopeful that this project will eventually create hundreds of jobs, both full- and part-time, in Cumberland County and add millions of dollars annually to the county's economy. It's an economic tool so important for South Jersey that initial opposition from North Jersey legislators presented us with yet another roadblock to be overcome. I also expect the project to spur other economic development in Cumberland County, including new hotels, restaurants and specialty businesses.



In addition to new jobs and revenue, this legislation had another selling point: The project it creates won't cost New Jersey taxpayers anything because private developers will finance it.



As I stated the day the Legislature adopted A-3835, this motorsports park is going to bring economic growth to our area, something we desperately need. A project that creates jobs, helps the economy of the area and costs state taxpayers absolutely nothing is what I call a good project.



Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew



D-1st District

 

One more article in wednesday's Daily Journal (Vineland's local paper).



Governor to sign motorsports park legislation in Cumberland County

From staff reports



Governor Jon Corzine will be coming to Cumberland County "in the next few weeks" to sign legislation establishing an entertainment tax district for the proposed New Jersey Motorsports Park, assemblymen Nelson Albano and Jeff Van Drew announced today.



The assemblymen are arranging a date for the governor's visit, according to a release from the assemblymen.



The legislation was crafted to assist in the development of the planned motorsports complex.



"This was a very difficult piece of legislation to get through both houses; it is the biggest piece of legislation for economic development in South Jersey since the Casino Act," Van Drew said.



"This motorsports park is going to bring economic growth and jobs to our area, which we so desperately need," Albano said. "The governor realizes this and that is why he is personally coming down to sign the bill into law."