NJ Commission Advances Plan to Relocate State Buildings

A commission created by Republican Gov. Chris Christie voted to press forward with plans to relocate two state office buildings in Trenton, despite fierce objections from city residents.

The project would involve creating new office buildings for the state’s Health, Agriculture and Taxation departments, and tearing down the current structures.

NJ.com reported opponents contend the proposed buildings would be too far from the city’s business district and wouldn’t encourage economic development in the city, as they are not mixed use.

Members of the State House Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve the project after an hour of testimony and with little discussion.

Most of the legislators that sit on the committee weren’t in the room during the majority of the testimony. At one point, a man was interrupted mid-testimony because three of the lawmakers were away and they no longer had a quorum.

Construction groups are arguing in favor of the project and a city spokeswoman says Trenton officials favor it.

Democratic Mayor Eric Jackson offered more measured support. “I certainly would have liked to have seen a lot more connectivity to our transit system … with some mixed use development,” Jackson said, “But it’s sort of a gamble to say, ‘let’s stop this.'”