Mayor Shares Updates On Upcoming Berkeley Projects

BERKELEY, NJ — Two of Berkeley's biggest projects - the Veterans Village and Berkeley Town Center - are moving forward, according to Mayor John Bacchione.

Bacchione shared updates on the projects at a recent Township Council meeting.

"The Tunnels to Towers project is moving right along," Bacchione said regarding the Veterans Village, adding that he was on a call with their contractors every Friday to get updates.

READ MORE: 'A Beacon Of Hope': Ground Broken On New Housing For Homeless Veterans In Ocean County

Another big project is the Berkeley Town Center. That's the site of the former Beachwood Mall, which has sat vacant for years, serving as an eyesore along the commercial corridor of Route 9.

"We're getting very close to agreeing on this PILOT," Bacchione said. PILOT, Payment In Lieu Of Taxes, is a New Jersey program that offers developers a lower payment than taxes would be to redevelop an area, mutually benefiting both the municipality and the developers.

The updated plaza, as of the most recent update, would have a Taco Bell, Bojangles, Spark Car Wash and Burger King. There was also a tentative agreement to bring a 7 Brew drive-thru coffee shop to the plaza.

READ MORE: 4 Businesses Confirmed For Updated Beachwood Mall

More details on both of these projects will come in the future, Bacchione said.