HOW IS TRENTON DOING VIS-A-VIS BUSINESS?

Ted Zangari, chair of the Redevelopment Law practice group at the Sills, Cummis law firm and a member of Real Estate New Jersey's editorial advisory board, takes a cautious approach to this week's poll question. Most respondents (75%) expressed their frustration, saying Trenton is asleep at the switch when it comes to business. The remaining respondents were split evenly between the remaining two choices: the state government is doing a great job (13%) and the government needs to improve, but is trying (13%). Zangari gives his take on the situation below:

"Trenton hasn't yet made the connection between economic development and its direct relation to real estate development. State policymakers do not seem to appreciate that there can be no ribbon cuttings, new jobs or new revenue sources without groundbreakings.

"This disconnect is quite troublesome when one considers that, with much of the state's developable land now off-limits due to preservation efforts, what's left to fuel New Jersey's economy are the more challenging smart growth areas that can take years to assemble, entitle and construct.