A legal fight is brewing in West Orange over the future of 70 acres of shopping and office space in the center of town. At issue: Whether the township is misusing a state law to unlock long-term tax abatements for private developers. "Let these property owners invest their own money and fix it," said Kevin Malanga, a West Orange resident who filed a lawsuit against the township, its planning board and council. "This should not be done at the taxpayer's expense."Earlier this year, the township council designated the Essex Green Shopping Center and the Executive Drive Offices off Prospect Avenue as areas "in need of redevelopment" under the state's redevelopment law. The law was created to spur private investment in blighted properties by offering incentives such as 30-year tax breaks and zoning flexibility.
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Essex Green and Executive Drive Area Area in Need of Redevelopment Study Township of West Orange, New Jersey
Essex Green and Executive Drive Area Area in Need of Redevelopment Study Township of West Orange, New Jersey
Kaynak:Nj.com