Data center proposed for 300 acres in O.B. Township to start review of plans for Crossroads tract BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer Acorporate data processing center may take the place of proposed senior housing on part of Old Bridge's Crossroads redevelopment tract near Routes 9 and 18. SCOTT FRIEDMAN Raritan Bay Cougars Coach Bob Franqui instructs his Pop Warner team during a time-out at the Mayor's Trophy Game Sunday at Dan Harvey Memorial Field in Old Bridge. The contest with the Sayrewoods South Rebels raised money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in honor of a local 3-year-old. A development firm is expected to present those plans to the township's Redevelopment Agency at a special meeting Monday. "Whenever you get an opportunity for corporate tax ratables that don't produce traffic, I consider that a unique opportunity that should be pursued," Mayor Jim Phillips said. Deep Run Corporate Campus would consist of four 350,000- square-foot, two-story data processing centers, located on 300 acres of the 500-acre Crossroads tract, which is owned by the township. Despite the size and number of the buildings, the complex would bring a minimal amount of traffic to the area, Phillips said, as each building would house about 75 employees. Jonathan Heilbrunn, attorney for Deep Run, explained the benefits of the proposed development in a letter dated Aug. 31. "Because this is proposed to be a data collection center, there will be virtually no impact on traffic, and we will be able to demonstrate that any traffic generated by this project will be significantly less than any other contemplated use," Heilbrunn wrote. "It will create the greatest revenue, the least density and the least impact on the environment. It will in no way increase the demand for schools, and will have minimal or no increase in demand for municipal services including police, fire and department of public works." According to Phillips, the project would be a good source of tax revenue for several reasons. Due to the nature of the use, the buildings would require a large amount of electricity and cooling, he said. They would also be expensive to construct, increasing the value further, Phillips said. While he expressed support for the proposal, Phillips said he would not fully get behind it until the process of approval unfolds. "This whole process is to be open and transparent," Phillips said. "I will not prejudge it." The data processing centers would store information for various corporations throughout the country. According to Phillips, the developer has said it has interested parties, but wants a level of commitment from the town that would allow it to begin actively marketing the business to companies. The builder - a limited liability corporation formed by David Arena, Joseph Jingoli Jr. and Joseph Ryan - has requested a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement in order to determine what it would be paying the town before bringing the corporate campus to the proposed location. PILOT agreements provide a fixed tax rate to a corporation, which can be more or less than the municipal tax rate. They benefit towns by attracting corporate ratables, according to Phillips. In a memo to the township's Planning Board, Economic Development Corp. and Redevelopment Agency dated Tuesday, Phillips requested that the proposal be reviewed as expeditiously as possible. The developer stated that the area is a viable location for the proposed purpose, because the necessary electricity and fiber-optic technology is readily available there, Phillips said. In 1997, Old Bridge acquired the Crossroads property for the purpose of economic development. The Township Council adopted a redevelopment plan for the land allowing a mix of uses, with the only type of housing allowed being age-restricted, so as not to bring more students into the school system. Though the Lennar Corporation made an offer of $3.5 million for 40 acres of the land near Texas Road, with plans for a 68- unit senior housing facility, Phillips expressed some doubt about that proposal coming to fruition. "There will be very little room left for 55 and up housing," Phillips said. Aside from the 300 acres the corporate campus would cover if approved, other plans are in the works for portions of the tract. A Middlesex County long-term care facility would take up 15 acres, and 25 acres would be dedicated to a medical arts building and a 110-room hotel. While Phillips confirmed that those plans are taking shape, he said he did not have specifics on them yet. The Redevelopment Agency meeting is open to the public, and will be held in the George Bush Senior Center, which is in the municipal complex, at 7 p.m.