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After laying dormant for two decades, the 170-acre, former
municipal landfill at Kapkowski Road was remediated and is now
home to many redevelopment projects, including:
These projects have turned this former
brownfield site from "trash into cash," revitalizing one of
Elizabeth's largest areas in the process.
JERSEY GARDENS MALL
JERSEY GARDENS MALL WILL CELEBRATE ITS SECOND ANNIVERSARY ON
OCTOBER 21, 2001!
Jersey Gardens, which is home to over 200 stores and
restaurants, has been visited by more than 15 million shoppers
and has generated in excess of $2.5 million in revenue for the
City. Jersey Gardens has also boosted Elizabeth's local economy
through job creation. In addition to 1,700 construction jobs,
Jersey Gardens has created nearly 4,000 permanent jobs, many of
them filled by Elizabeth residents.
Jersey Gardens has a wide variety of stores, both outlet and
retail. Such famous brand names as The Gap, Polo Ralph Lauren,
Bath and Body Works, and Bed, Bath and Beyond are included.
Jersey Gardens Mall has become an active participant in the
community. The mall supports Dollars
for Scholars, a school fundraising program for local
elementary schools. Participating schools receive "points" for
purchases made in mall stores and Jersey Gardens makes donations
to individual schools based upon their placement in the
program.
Garden of Hope is another
program sponsored by the mall: each month, a different local
health-related organization is permitted to raise funds and
awareness within the mall.
Jersey Gardens also hosts monthly
Heritage Celebrations, in
recognition of the many heritages that comprise our diverse
community. The celebrations include musical entertainment,
displays, and children's programs. Each October, Jersey Gardens
collaborates with the Union County Cultural and Heritage
Commission to present a month-long celebration of arts and the
humanities.
And every November, Jersey Gardens hosts its annual Magical
Night of Giving. Local non-profit organizations participate in
this fundraising event which features store discounts, prize
drawings, and entertainment throughout the mall-all of which is
included in the admission ticket. Proceeds benefit the
participating organizations.
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LOEWS CINEMA
A
STATE-OF-THE-ART, 20-SCREEN LOEWS CINEMA IS OPENING IN AUGUST
2001!
The new cinema will feature stadium seating and in-theater
dining, making it a one-of-a-kind facility and drawing
moviegoers from throughout the region.
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MARRIOTT HOTELS
Elizabeth's success in economic development
initiatives doesn't end there, though. Since the mall's opening
nearly two years ago, name brand developers have been eager to
have their names in Elizabeth. In May, Marriott Inc. broke
ground on two new hotel complexes, the Marriott Courtyard and
the Residence Inn, which will be located adjacent to Jersey
Gardens. The $45 million complex will include a total of four
hundred guestrooms and will create 150 jobs when the hotels open
in December 2001.
Residence Inn offers studio, one and two bedroom suites in a
residential, home-like setting with features that help guests be
more productive and flexible during extended stays of five
nights or more. Each guest suite has a fully equipped kitchen
with full-sized appliances, coffeemaker, and microwave oven. The
hotels will feature an exercise room, social room, gathering
area for daily complimentary breakfast buffet, weeknight social
hour, swimming pool, and SportCourt for volleyball, basketball,
and mini-tennis. Other amenities include daily housekeeping,
complimentary grocery shopping services, same day dry-cleaning,
on-site faxing, copying, and printing services and an in-room
modem line. Rates range from $90 to $120, depending on size of
suite and length of stay.
Courtyard by Marriott offers rooms featuring a king-size bed or
two queen-size beds, a separate seating area with sofa bed,
refrigerator and microwave oven. Guestrooms also include free
HBO and the Premium Movie Channel. Other Courtyard features
include: breakfast buffet, lounge, swimming pool with whirlpool
spa, exercise room, fax and copy services, and guest laundry.
Ultimately, seven new hotels with a total of nearly 2,000
guestrooms will be built in Elizabeth. Outside of Atlantic City,
this region will offer the most hotel rooms per square mile in
the state of New Jersey.
"Jersey Gardens and the new Marriott hotels provide easy access
to individuals who live and/or work in the tri-state area, and
for those who fly in and out of Newark International Airport,"
said Mayor Chris Bollwage. "Shopping, entertainment and a
convenient hotel will make Elizabeth a weekend destination."
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FERRY
Transportation is a key component of the
economic revitalization surrounding Jersey Gardens Mall. To make
it easier for Elizabeth's residents and visitors to access New
York City, plans are being developed to establish a passenger
ferry between Elizabeth and Manhattan.
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