Construction to Begin at Port of Paulsboro The project is lauded as an Economic Engine for the Region 9/22/2009 (Paulsboro, NJ) – Ground was broken today to begin construction on the Port of Paulsboro, a deep water port that will be built on 190 acres along the Delaware River. The project will create thousands of jobs and spur economic growth in Gloucester County and in the South Jersey region. “Gloucester County has made a major commitment toward making sure this port gets built. We see it as the gateway to the future for jobs and the economy not just Paulsboro but for the region,” said Freeholder Director and Senate Majority Leader Stephen M. Sweeney. “The Delaware River is the Highway to the Global Economy and as this Port of Paulsboro is built and succeeds, it positions Gloucester County as a leader in the Global marketplace,” Sweeney stated. Sweeney said that the Port of Paulsboro is an unprecedented partnership built between Gloucester County Improvement Authority, the Borough of Paulsboro, the South Jersey Port Corporation, and the State of New Jersey. “This is the largest economic development project that Gloucester County has ever undertaken. The Freeholders know that this is a great opportunity to create jobs, and economic vitality in Paulsboro and all of the towns surrounding this region,” said Sweeney. “This is the right time and the right place to build this port,” Sweeney stated. Assemblyman and Paulsboro Mayor John Burzichelli said that the site of the Port of Paulsboro was leased to the Borough through British Petroleum (BP). “We are reclaiming a brownfield site to rejuvenate the economy and bring ratables back to the Borough of Paulsboro,” said Burzichelli. “This port is going to be a major contribution to the economic renewal of the Borough of Paulsboro,” Mayor Burzichelli said. “While the Port of Paulsboro is being built our people will be working in good paying jobs and our downtown will be busy providing goods and services to the men and women who will be working here. Jobs, ratables and reclaiming land and industry are what this project means to Paulsboro,” said Burzichelli. Freeholder Deputy Director Robert M. Damminger, who is the County’s liaison to the Department of Public Works, stressed that the access road the county is constructing from I295 will allow trucks and commerce to flow in and out of the Port of Paulsboro without disrupting the community. “I grew up in Paulsboro and have generations of family here. I understand this community and only want the best for it. The access road that the county will construct is right in sync with the County’s plan to create jobs and economic opportunity for our residents. We have been working to create a modern facility that would not disrupt the quality of life for Paulsboro or Gloucester County residents,” said Freeholder Damminger. Gloucester County Improvement Authority (GCIA) is acting as the developer of Port of Paulsboro and is overseeing the design and construction of the 190-acre marine terminal with upwards to four berths. The South Jersey Port Corporation, a state agency that owns and operates the Ports of Camden and Salem, has issued $56 million in bonds to begin the site preparation of the Port, which is anticipated to begin operations within the next three years. “For decades I had yearned to see the South Jersey Port Corporation expand its job-creating operations by incremental expansion from Camden County into Gloucester County. In the leadership and job-creating-passion of Governor Corzine; Senator Sweeney, the freeholder-director of Gloucester County; and Assemblyman John Burzichelli, the mayor of Paulsboro, we found leaders who shared and worked hard for our joint vision and economic development ambitions for southern New Jersey,” said Joseph A. Balzano, the executive director of the SJPC. “Where others saw two derelict tank farms sitting on 150 plus areas on the Paulsboro shores of the Delaware River, these leaders saw opportunity to create upper-mobile jobs and energize the economy of South Jersey.” Balzano said, “What started as an informal alliance between the State of New Jersey and Gloucester County has become a formal and productive partnership between the South Jersey Port Corporation and the Gloucester County Improvement Authority to spur the economy of the region and create good-paying jobs for thousands of people.”

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