The Perth Amboy Renaissance

The City of Perth Amboy is in the midst of a renaissance and we, at Duke Realty, have been proud to take part. Over the past several years, the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency (PARA) and the City of Perth Amboy have worked tirelessly to revitalize parts of the city that had been largely neglected. For our part, we’ve developed several projects that have brought new investment to the city, created new job opportunities for Perth Amboy residents, and cleaned up once contaminated land.

Perth Amboy has an industrial history, going back to the mid-1800s, but over the past few decades industries that once thrived, including the manufacturing of steel, chemicals, and textiles, have fallen upon hard times. As many of these industries were relocated or shuttered, places like Perth Amboy were left with hundreds of thousands of vacant square footage and the lost tax revenue that accompanied it. These types of sites are notoriously difficult to clean, upgrade, and develop.

The City and PARA both have demonstrated tremendous leadership and vision and it is one of the biggest reasons we have chosen to build projects here. But more than that, Perth Amboy is strategically located and is home to a high-quality workforce.

An example of one such project is the Gerdau Ameristeel project. This site laid unused for ten years and had industrial uses going back well over 100 years. As a result, the land was heavily contaminated and brought no value to the City. We spent tens of millions of dollars cleaning up the site and building new green infrastructure, with PARA advocating to include public spaces, providing public access to the waterfront. Now, Home Depot has chosen to move into this site and is opening a distribution center that will provide thousands of local jobs and further investment in the City.

The fact that the City and PARA served as both invaluable partners and tireless advocates for the people of Perth Amboy is notable. They were there every step of the way ensuring that the projects brought a real benefit to the City. Attracting tenants like Home Depot is extraordinarily competitive, but we were able to do it in part because of the collaboration with PARA and the City.

We firmly believe that Perth Amboy has a bright future ahead. The City by the Bay is uniquely positioned for success, while many other towns and cities work to find their footing. Duke Realty is looking forward to continuing to act as an engaged partner in providing opportunity and creating high-quality projects.

Art Makris
Senior Vice President of the Northeast Region for Duke Realty

Masks

Perth Amboy is the coronavirus hotspot in Middlesex County, with the most cases, and they are rising. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, has predicted continued surges of Covid-19 into at least the end of February, making this period even more dangerous than the Spring surge.

I have noticed some Perth Amboy residents not wearing masks and ignoring other proper hygiene criteria. Perhaps not all Perth Amboy residents can afford cable news where they hear these precautions every day or they do not hear it regularly on Spanish language television. Considering that, I suggest that signs outside telling residents to wear masks, avoid crowds, and socially distance at least 6 feet apart be displayed in both English and Spanish.

Channel 34 and Channel 47 should also display bilingual hygiene guidelines and facts about coronavirus precautions inside and outside and about the dangers of having holiday get-togethers with people not in your household.

Remember, the coronavirus has no symptoms in some people, and you can unknowingly spread it to others. You may be saving your life, or that of a precious family member’s life or other lives by listening to the medical experts and practicing caution.

Marianne Zanko Komek

It’s Christmas, Enjoy It!

OK, folks! Christmas is the time of the year to enjoy with your family and friends and to forget about that circus election we had and wearing a mask here and there because some “Control Freak” said so. Let’s celebrate this Christmas with joy and peace on earth for mankind. Make this Christmas a special one like never before!

So, enjoy this Christmas. Merry Christmas and enjoy life!

Orlando “Wildman” Perez

“Let Go! Let God! Give Patience and Peace a Try!”

T’is the season to “Let Go! Let God! Give patience and peace a try. The years have brought about many conflicts in our lives which never seem to fade away. The old grudges, family feuds and misunderstandings stay with us because we don’t take the time or are afraid to talk about the unresolved hurts from the past.

Now is the time to set about righting the old hard feelings. I assure you all parties will become away stronger, happier and with a better understanding of what really matters in life. Reach out. You will be amazed to learn that the other party has wanted to forgive and forget but was afraid to make the first move. Let Go! Let God. He will show you the way.

Respectfully,
Robert A. Brown