FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Puglisi January 17, 2008 973-621-2542

Lauren Shears

973-621-1590

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCES INITIATIVE TO PRESERVE 90-ACRE HOSPITAL CENTER PROPERTY AS PARKLAND Change in Policy Reflects the Executive’s Commitment to Create Open Space and Fulfill the Needs of the Community

Cedar Grove, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. was joined by State, County and Municipal officials when he announced an initiative to preserve the 90.2- acre site of the Old Essex County Hospital Center as parkland. The initiative represents a change in policy by the County Executive to create more open space instead of selling the property to a private real estate developer. DiVincenzo was joined by State, County and Municipal officials at the press conference on Thursday, January 17th.

“ For more than a dozen years, the County, ECIA, Caldwell, Verona, Cedar Grove and North Caldwell have been grappling with the sale and development of the Hilltop properties,” DiVincenzo said. “I respect and support the Freeholders’ decision to maintain ownership of the Hospital Center property. Our decision to preserve the last remaining Hilltop parcel as parkland is the direct result of listening to the public’s desire for more open space. Our County is densely developed and transforming one of the largest tracts of land in Essex into parkland is an opportunity to improve the quality of life for our residents that we cannot ignore,” he added.

The remaining unsold Hilltop property includes the 90.2 acres off Fairview Avenue where the old Essex County Hospital Center is located. Essex County continued to utilize the hospital buildings while the development of a new 154,000-square-foot Psychiatric Hospital Center was being undertaken on 11 acres of County- owned land on Grove Street. Design and construction of the new hospital was completed in just 25 months, and patients were relocated to the cutting edge facility in February 2007.

With the County no longer occupying the Old Hospital Center, the ECIA, which was designated by Essex as the redevelopment agent, petitioned the DiVincenzo administration to transfer the title so it could sell the property. The resolution giving the ECIA control was unanimously voted against by the Board of Chosen Freeholders on December 27, 2007. This means the 90.2 acre parcel will remain the possession of Essex County.

“We originally were selling this land to pay the 1995 Hilltop debt, but through the hard work of our County Executive, the previous sales satisfied our entire debt obligation,” said Freeholder Linda Lordi Cavanaugh, whose district includes Cedar Grove. “The Freeholders view this property as a valuable asset that will be put to better use if all our residents can enjoy it. We are putting open space back on the map and doing it in a way that is good for Essex County and Cedar Grove,” she added.

DiVincenzo viewed the defeat of the resolution as an opportunity to create a new County park for active and passive recreation. To maximize safety at the site, the Executive said it was essential to remove the vacant, antiquated buildings, and that demolition was scheduled to start this spring. He noted that he will be lobbying the New Jersey Green Acres and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board program for grant money to pay for demolition costs and to preserve the property. DiVincenzo has already directed the Essex County Counsel’s Office to conduct an appraisal of the property.

“ We all recognize there is a shortage of open space and we really need it here. The addition of this park will provide space for new recreation opportunities as well as a peaceful and tranquil setting where people can escape our busy streets,” Senator Kevin O’Toole said. “This will be a tremendous benefit to the community and I look forward to working with the County Executive to secure the funds needed to make this project become a reality,” he added.

“Any opportunity that an urban county like Essex has to preserve open space is an advantage for the community. Preserving this property and the creation of the new 2.7-acre park at the Hall of Records are examples of the ongoing commitment our County Executive and Board of Freeholders have to enhance our quality of life,” Senator Teresa Ruiz said. “Projects like these are made possible through the leadership and vision of people who are always thinking green,” she added.

“The Hilltop has been the number one issue since I joined the Council and we have been fighting to preserve this as open space. I can’t believe we are here today to make the announcement that we are saving 90 acres,” Cedar Grove Mayor Peter Tanella said. “I appreciate the work that is being done by the County Executive and Freeholders. Any assistance you need, we are here to work with you,” added the Mayor, who was joined by Cedar Grove Council Members Joseph Chiusolo, Paul Lee, Romeo Longo and Robert O’Toole.

The Hilltop and adjoining County-owned property were sold by the previous administration to fill a deficit in the 1995 budget. The concept was for the ECIA to resell the property to a third party and use the revenue to pay Essex County’s debt. The Authority was charged with the responsibility of developing a Master Plan and Redevelopment Plan for the Hilltop and marketing the property to potential buyers.

After the previous administration sold the Hilltop to the ECIA in 1995, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection awarded the County an $8 million Green Acres grant to preserve 240 acres of land. When DiVincenzo took office in 2003, he negotiated with the NJDEP to provide a $3.85 million Green Acres grant to preserve an additional 44 acres of property for passive and active recreational use.

There was a great deal of activity regarding the Hilltop sale in 2004. In August, the first properties were conveyed to Cedar Grove for $275,000. The township is using the 10.6 acres of land for recreation purposes. By the end of the year, K Hovnanian purchased 53 acres along Fairview Avenue in Cedar Grove for $12,150,000 and 27 acres along Mountain Avenue in Caldwell and North Caldwell for $6,394,548.

The 2004 opening of the state-of-the-art Essex County Correctional Facility on Doremus Avenue in Newark enabled the County to vacant the Jail Annex and made the property available to be sold to the developers. In 2005, approximately 92 acres of property in North Caldwell and Verona, which included the former Essex County Jail Annex and adjacent properties, was sold to K Hovnanian Companies and CenRose Hilltop, LLC. The $16,339,520 transaction enabled the County and ECIA to pay off all the remaining debt from the 1995 Hilltop sale.