From new stores and warehouses to office buildings, East Windsor Township is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing down.
That was the message delivered by Mayor Janice S. Mironov in her annual State of the Township address last week at the East Windsor chapter of the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
“There is a lot going on in East Windsor. The town is booming and it is financially strong, and we take a great deal of pride in that,” Mironov said.
Retail is doing well in East Windsor, Mironov said. The town has attracted national retailers and restaurants, such as Kohl’s department store, Petco and Five Guys.
Commenting on the recent ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Five Guys restaurant at the Shoppes at East Windsor shopping center on Route 130, Mironov said “it is wonderful” the town is attracting national retailers.
“You really learn what is important. I haven’t had so many calls from residents since the opening of Kohl’s. In municipal government, you learn what is important to the people,” she said.
Having Kohl’s open a store at the East Windsor Village shopping center on Route 571, soon after the retailer closed its West Windsor Township store, “shows how vibrant and attractive the town is. It is a reflection of where East Windsor is in the retail market,” Mironov said.
The office and warehouse segment also is doing well in East Windsor, she said. Several companies have expanded and added more square footage, while new companies have moved in to recently completed spaces.
Mironov mentioned the 410,300-square-foot Gateway Twin Rivers office and distribution warehouse on Milford Road which is being leased by LG Electronics for use as a distribution center.
The mayor also highlighted the redevelopment of the former National Lead Co. property on Wyckoff Mills Road. Modway Furniture plans to open a warehouse and distribution center at the site, creating about 150 new jobs, she said.
While Mironov is pleased with the redevelopment of the former National Lead Co. site, she is most proud of the new 567,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center built by pharmaceutical company Aurobindo USA on Windsor Center Drive.
Aurobindo is in the process of “ramping up” and is expected to bring 300 to 400 new jobs to the area, Mironov said. Combined with the 120 jobs that go along with its corporate offices located next door, “that is a lot more people who will shop and live in the community,” she said.
But it’s not just all stores and office buildings in East Windsor, Mironov said, pointing to other achievements in the past year – from new programs to help residents battling drug and alcohol addiction, to a new bicycle and pedestrian path that is inching closer to reality.
The East Windsor Township Police Department offers East Windsor CARE (Community Addiction Recovery Effort) to individuals battling drug and alcohol addiction when its officers come into contact with substance abusers. Police will refer the person to substance abuse treatment programs.
On another front, East Windsor has been awarded silver certification, the highest level of certification available, by Sustainable Jersey for its sustainability initiatives, Mironov said.
Also, the extension of the Union Transportation Trail, a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly path, is moving closer to reality, Mironov said.
Township officials received a $135,000 grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission for the costs of planning and design work for the 3.5-mile segment of the trail, which follows the roadbed of the former Pennsylvania Railroad’s Pemberton and Hightstown rail line.
“It will be a tremendous asset,” Mironov said of the Union Transportation Trail.
The mayor also noted that an expansion of the East Windsor Senior Center may be in the works. The number of senior citizens using the senior center has grown from less than 400 people in 2014 to more than 1,300 people in 2017.
“What that says is that we have a great senior center and staff and programs,” Mironov said, adding that East Windsor is committed to serving its senior citizens.
Finally, progress is being made on the realignment of Route 130 and Hankins Road, she said. The township is preparing to seek bids for the project and hopes to have it under construction in 2019.
