Solar Panels on the roof of the NJMC's Science Center

The Fall 2009 issue of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Construction Code Communicator, Volume 21, Number 2, clarified the method by which construction application fees are calculated for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems.

When completing the NJMC’s Construction Project Review application for PV system projects within the District, the project type should be designated as an alteration to an existing building. When determining the plan review fee for the PV systems, the panels themselves should not be listed. The only amounts that should be included in the cost of work are the material and labor for mounting the PV system. Neither electrical material nor labor is included in cost of work for fee calculations.

To download the NJMC’s Construction Project Review application, please click here.

Additionally, a Zoning Certificate application must be submitted to the NJMC. Please click here to download that application. When completing the Zoning Certificate application, the box indicating “Other” should be checked off, and the minimum Zoning Certificate application fee of $100 should be submitted.

A 45,000 square foot LA Fitness Center sports club is under construction at 450 Harmon Meadow Boulevard, within the mixed-use Harmon Meadow development in Secaucus.

The Secaucus LA Fitness Center is located at the intersection of Harmon Meadow Boulevard and Park Plaza Drive, adjacent to a 1,000-space parking garage.

The new Sports Club plans to include full court basketball, a three-lane lap pool, a spa and locker rooms, as well as individual aerobic and group exercise instruction and stationary bikes. According to Hartz Mountain Industries, the owner of the development, trained instructors will lead more than 60 classes per week covering every level and degree of intensity from yoga to fast-paced aerobics.

LA Fitness was founded in 1984 and currently operates over 280 clubs in 17 states and Canada. The new Secaucus LA Fitness Center will be New Jersey’s eighth and the first to be located in the Meadowlands District. The building was previously a Loews Movie Theater and has been extensively renovated, including the addition of a 3,500 square foot mezzanine for cardiovascular exercise equipment.

Emanuel Stern, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hartz Mountain, stated that “The addition of LA Fitness’ top-quality state of the art Sports Club creates another major amenity for our existing office tenants and surrounding communities and we are confident that the facility will attract more corporations to lease office space in Harmon Meadow with such great amenities and ample free parking.”

The NJMC recently released an occupancy certification for a new 1,542 square foot Kentucky Fried Chicken located at Plaza Center in Secaucus, NJ.

According to their website, the “KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain” and “more than 12 million customers are served at KFC restaurants in 109 countries and territories around the world. KFC operates more than 5,200 restaurants in the United States and more than 15,000 units around the world.”

The Secaucus establishment is anticipated to open within the next few weeks.

Genzyme Biosurgey is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. The company’s products and services are focused on rare inherited disorders, kidney disease, orthopaedics, cancer, transplant and immune disease, and diagnostic testing. Their Meadowlands District facility located in Ridgefield, NJ employs over 150 people and manufactures biomaterials, including Synvisc®, an FDA-approved therapy which is used in over 2.2 million knees for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain.

Their new 49,699 square foot building addition recently obtained an occupancy certification from the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. This building addition is an example of sustainable design in the Meadowlands. The facility is LEED registered and expects to obtain at least LEED Silver certification for the new construction. This will make Genzyme the second LEED certified building in the Meadowlands District.

Some of the many sustainable building techniques utilized include optimization of energy performance, water use reduction, utilization of recycled materials, low VOC emitting materials and daylight and views for building occupants.

Solar Panels on the roof of the NJMC's Science Center

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced that the state now has over 100 MW of solar capacity from more than 4,340 projects statewide.  That is enough electricity to satisfy the needs of almost 200,000 people.

New Jersey is now second only to California in number of installations and capacity, but first it terms of the amount of solar installed per square mile.

Read more here.

The new ShowPlace Theatres at the Plaza at Harmon Meadow shopping and entertainment center in Secaucus opened today.  The 14-screen theater is operated and owned by Kerasotes Theaters, LLC.  The 69,000 square foot theater has 14 screens and 2,752 seats.

Starting today through next Thursday, October 22, all movies are free, along with free popcorn and soda.  The theater is located at 650 Plaza Drive in Secaucus, NJ.

To read about the construction of the theater, click here.

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the NJMC Business Accelerator this month.  The Business Accelerator was created to help entrepreneurs focused on green and sustainable technologies and services grow their businesses.

After a year in operation, the Accelerator employees more than 21 people on a full-time basis and has trained five interns, according to Director Michel Bitritto. The start-up clients involved have generated nearly $840,000 all together, and these businesses have attracted $2.1 million in third-party funding.

The celebration on October 15, 2009 was a success, attracting more than three dozen visitors including state Senator Robert Gordon, Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce President Jim Kirkos, and several members of the Governor’s economic development staff.  NJMC Executive Director Bob Ceberio also attended.

The NJMC is sponsoring a series of free Green Living programs to help people learn ways to better conserve resources, protect the environment and “green” their life in general. The practical, hands-on public workshops will be held at libraries, stores and other locations throughout the Meadowlands region in the coming months.

The next program, Green Remodeling & Cleaning, is set for Monday, October 19 at 7pm in the Lowe’s home improvement store in East Rutherford.

This free event will feature information on:

• Building more sustainably when doing home renovations
• Information on green products to use
• Shopping for energy-efficient and water saving products
• Benefits of green cleaning for you and the environment
• Plus free sample products

The speaker is Karen Halo, whose work has been featured on ABC’s “Extreme Home Makeover” and in numerous news articles. She will share the expertise she has learned about indoor air quality, water conservation, and saving energy.

Funding for the Green Living programs comes from a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation grant that the NJMC received this spring to help develop programs that promote sustainability. The grant recognizes the NJMC’s commitment to sustainable initiatives that make a positive environmental and economic impact on the region.

To register for an NJMC Green Living program and learn more about the series, contact Debbie Lawlor at debbie.lawlor@njmeadowlands.gov or 201-460-4671.

The NJMC has been working directly with businesses and municipalities to promote renewable energy projects, recycling and other aspects of green living. The Commission offers financial and other incentives to developers who design and build sustainable projects.

The Commission is also helping Meadowlands District towns become certified through the state’s Sustainable Jersey Program, which rewards communities that go green with access to grants and other financial incentives. Through its Municipal Solar Assistance Program, the NJMC is helping District municipalities and school districts prepare solar energy plans for their buildings.

NorthJersey.com reports the NJMC Business Accelerator client Gotham Analytics has been named an “Incubator Company to Watch” by the New Jersey Technology Council.  Gotham Analytics designs high-tech data collection and management systems and will be honored at the Technology Council’s Gala Awards dinner on November 17 in Somerset.

Yogi Sookhu, CEO of Gotham Analytics said “the support that we have received since joining the NJMC Business Accelerator has been amazing. The Accelerator staff’s assistance has been invaluable in helping Gotham Analytics grow its business and position itself for future success.”

NJMC Executive Director Robert Ceberio is “pleased that the New Jersey Technology Council has recognized Gotham Analytics as an innovative company poised to do great things. This outstanding honor also reflects the critical role that incubators such as the NJMC Business Accelerator play in helping to grow small businesses and the state’s economy.”

Read more about Gotham Analytics here.

Gotham Analytics creates data collection and management systems focused on environmental monitoring and recently designed data gathering software for the NJMC’s new digital flood control monitoring system.

The Sierra Club reports that Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and President of the USGBC, believes that “LEED certification of the White House is absolutely possible and viable.”

The effort to retrofit the White House to become LEED certified includes a focus on energy and water systems as well as waste, according to White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) spokesperson, Christine Glunz. It is vital to consider toxicity and life-cycle when making purchases for facilities, she believes. They are looking to reduce the carbon footprint of the White House by implementing computerized energy management systems, occupancy sensors that automatically turn off lights in unoccupied rooms and low-flow toilets and fixtures. Renovations would use paints and sealers with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and biodegradable cleaners and recycled equipment will all be used by White House groundskeepers and engineers, according to a White House spokesperson. Window films that will lower UV rays and save energy will also be added.

The Sierra Club goes on to state:

“If President Obama continues to enforce such eco-friendly changes throughout his term, he will be on the right track to making the White House more of a “green house,” proving with a LEED certification that he can lead Americans to a greener world.”

To read more about the White House’s efforts to become more sustainable, click here.

To read more about the NJMC’s recently constructed LEED Platinum certified building, click here.