Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes delivers his annual State of the County address at the Hyatt Regency Princeton in West Windsor on Jan. 16, 2014.
Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes delivered his his annual State of the County address Jan. 16.
Hughes discussed Trenton Central High School and economic growth in front of an audience of more than 500 business and government leaders at a luncheon sponsored by the MIDJesey Chamber of Commerce at the Hyatt Regency Princeton.
During his address, Hughes said that his administration would open a dialogue with state and city school officials to help facilitate a solution to the severe structural problems plaguing Trenton Central High School.
“I’m confident that Mercer County can find a revenue-neutral solution that is practical and fair, just as we were able to achieve with the Trenton School District’s Daylight-Twilight School,” Hughes said. “The reality is private academies, charter and parochial schools are not an option for all, so it is our duty to ensure that the 1,900 students at Trenton Central High receive the educational opportunities they deserve.”
Construction of Daylight/Twilight High School, which opened in 2008 and provides alternative educational programs tailored to adult students, was funded and overseen by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. The project co-developers were the Mercer County Improvement Authority and the Trenton Demonstration School Development LLC.
Hughes noted that Mercer County has “solved other seemingly unworkable problems such as Petty’s Run,” the historic archaeological dig next to the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton that was nearly buried and back-filled several years ago, and called for his administration to “open a dialogue with the State, the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, city school officials and the concerned legislators” regarding the dilapidated 81-year-old TCHS building.
Hughes also pointed to continued signs of economic growth, saying “the state of our County is strong, and our outlook is even stronger.”
He said that in addition to some welcome news being delivered by private development, Mercer County expects to receive a significant economic boost from tourism dollars generated by a number of marquee events that will bring visitors to the Capital region this year, beginning with the Feb. 2 Super Bowl in North Jersey.
The other special events Hughes cited will take place in and around the county, include the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games in June and the Ironman triathlon in September. The Special Olympics, for which Trenton-Mercer will serve as the host airport, is expected to attract about 3,500 athletes, 1,000 coaches, 10,000 volunteers and 70,000 family, friends and spectators.
Hughes outlined some of the commercial development – either under way or soon to break ground – that will create jobs and give the county an economic lift. These include the Amazon mega warehouse in Robbinsville due for completion this spring; two hotel projects on Route 130 in Hamilton; construction of a Costco discount store on Quakerbridge Road in Lawrence; redevelopment of the Mrs. G’s site on Route 1 in Lawrence; and renovation of the Ellsworth shopping plaza on Princeton-Hightstown Road in West Windsor.
The County Executive noted that Mercer County has a 5.3 percent unemployment rate, third lowest among counties statewide and 2.5 points below the New Jersey rate.
Hughes also touched on Frontier Airlines’ rapid expansion at Trenton-Mercer Airport over the past year, which led the county to renovate its 40-year-old airport terminal, and Ewing Township’s approval of a Parkway Avenue Redevelopment Plan that paves the way for the creation of a town center near the airport.
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