Union boss: Gusciora cost 1,000 jobs for killing state project
TRENTON» Democrats and union leaders are usually friends.
But following a decision Monday morning by the State House Commission, a board comprised of state legislators and the governor’s staff, to hold off on a plan to bulldoze the state’s Health and Agriculture and Taxation buildings and construct new buildings in Trenton, a local union leader blamed Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) for his stance on the project.
“We were going to have 1,000 construction workers on those jobs who are now going to be most likely out of work,” said Fred Dumont, who is the business manager of Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 89. “We have a big effort in the city of Trenton where we were recruiting minorities into our labor union. And guess what, I had to pull back on that because when you lose all that work, you don’t want to take people into the union and have them sit out of work.”
Gusciora was appointed to the State House Commission on Monday to fill in for two members who were out of town. The longtime 15th district assemblyman called for the board to table the $220 million construction project until Gov.-elect PhilMurphy assumes office in the New Year. Three Gov. Chris Christie appointees and two Republican legislators also agreed with Gusciora and ultimately the board decided to postpone the project.
“The only vote that we took was to hold the matter into the Murphy administration, which is less than 60 days away,” Gusciora said. “We did not kill the deal. We want Murphy’s input and maybe there’s a better way to do construction in the state capital.”
The assemblyman, who is a Trenton resident, would prefer the state buildings to be near the transit center or in the center of downtown to “be the impetus for more building.”
“I think it’s pretty inexcusable that the Christie administration in eight years, the only thing they can demonstrate is the Statehouse renovation and that bridge to nowhere,” Guscriora said Wednesday, referencing Christie’s $18.5 million plan to build a new Trenton park along the Delaware River that will be connected to the downtown by the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Route 29. “Then, in his 11th hour, to tear down two buildings, leave the land vacant, and then build two buildings arbitrarily at places just because they own state land. That is no way to build a capital city and I think that the capital city deserves more.” In September 2016, Christie outlined his possible ill-fated plan outside the under-construction Roebling Lofts in Trenton. It was the first major economic development project he announced for the capital city under Mayor Eric Jackson’s term after deciding to stay away from Trenton during the Tony Mack years.
The Health and Agriculture building at 369 S. Warren St. is known for its rectangular and round shapes. The Taxation building at 50 Barrack St. is a prominent stronghold in the city at the corner ofWest State Street across the roadway from Thomas Edison State University and the Statehouse.
Christie wanted to build a seven-story, 175,000-square-foot building on the northwest corner of John Fitch Way and South Warren Street to house Taxation, and construct a five-story, 135,000-square-foot building on the southwest corner of North Willow andWestHanover Streets to house Agriculture and Health. Both spaces are currently stateowned parking lots.
Dumont, who is on the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) board, is upset because he says there was a bipartisan effort with Christie, State Sen. President Steve Sweeney, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes and Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson to build the buildings with “100-percent union jobs.”
“That’s been worked on for eight months now,” the union leader said, noting the Jackson administration was very involved with the project and the project was ready to go out for bids before the end of the year. “Because there was only very minor opposition, the EDA spent $5 million on this already, so that’s gone.”
Dumont also criticized Gusciora for failing to come to any EDA meeting.
“His one task was to sabotage that project,” Dumont said. “There were so many meetings before this and he didn’t go to one. He waited until it was a done deal and then came in and sabotaged it.”
Dumont alleges that the assemblyman was playing politics.
“Politics should not come into play that affects people’s lives and keeps them out of work,” Dumont said. “He didn’t like Chris Christie. Chris Christie didn’t like him. So what does he do? He retaliates and who gets stuck in the middle? The average working people. Some good Trenton people are going to be out of work now because of politics and it stinks.”
Following the State House Commission vote, the EDA board met on Tuesday and held from consideration funding for the project.
“What I’m hearing is the project is dead,” Dumont said. “We’re not looking at it again. I would think it’s the greatest thing if Phil Murphy approved this but Reed Gusciora is hanging alone. What if Murphy doesn’t? How is he going and face all those people who are out of work? I think he’s a coward that he came out for this days after the election. If he thought that way, he should have let the people who voted in office know beforehand.”
The assemblyman believes it would be vindictive if the EDA doesn’t fund the project in the future if Murphy is on board.
“It’s not that we’re opposed to development,” Gusciora said. “What Fred Dumont wants to do is just to do anything and expect the pittance that the Christie administration has offered. I think that he should not be on the EDA because that’s not the creative thinking that we need to create economic development in the city. I think the state capital and the residents of the state deserve a lot more than what Fred Dumont is willing to accept.”
Gusciora also alleged Dumont “just started screaming” at him at the League of Municipalities conference in Atlantic City after the State Commission decided to hold off on a vote.
“As a gay person, I’m used to bullies,” the assemblyman said. “I’m not a coward. Unlike Fred Dumont, I live in the city of Trenton. I care about my property taxes. I want the city to be successful and the capital city deserves so much more than Fred Dumont on the EDA and what the Christie administration has ever offered Trenton.”
In the long run, Gusciora hopes a public/private partnership will help bring about new office spaces for state workers.
“It will even be less for New Jersey taxpayers,” he said. “This is just the backwards thinking of the Christie administration. Let’s just have the taxpayers bond the money and be totally responsible for the debt.”
“We were going to have 1,000 construction workers on those jobswho are now going to bemost likely out of work.” —Fred Dumont, business manager of Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 89
“The only vote thatwe tookwas to hold thematter into theMurphy administration, which is less than 60 days away. We did not kill the deal. WewantMurphy’s input andmaybe there’s a betterway to do construction in the state capital.” —Assemblyman Reed Gusciora