ROI-NJ

After decades of discussion and planning, 80 acres adjacent to Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport will undergo the first phase of development into a mega-metropolis that will include multifamily housing, hotel, retail, entertainment and youth sports facilities, according to a Thursday announcement from Morris Bailey, chairman of JEMB Realty Corporation — a multigenerational real estate firm with vast office, residential and entertainment experience — and Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Phase one of the project, which will be developed in partnership with the state of New Jersey and Dennis Drazin’s @Darby Development LLC, is slated to break ground in the fourth quarter of 2025. Bailey and his team have been working closely with the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, local community stakeholders and elected officials as well as Darby, which recently entered into an 85-year lease agreement for the iconic Monmouth Park. Read more:

The structural heart team at Englewood Hospital successfully performed its first procedure using the Abbott TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair system, a first-of-its-kind device, to repair a leaky tricuspid valve, a condition known as tricuspid regurgitation. “We are excited to be one of the very first hospitals in New Jersey, and the country, to implant TriClip, and offer this revolutionary treatment for patients with tricuspid valve disease,” Dr. Joseph De Gregorio, executive director of cardiovascular services at Englewood Hospital, said. “TriClip is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical option to restore normal blood flow patterns on the right side of the heart for patients with tricuspid valve regurgitation, and ultimately improve symptoms, quality of life and outcomes.” Read more:

From Military Matters | The name of Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone still looms large in the chronicles of New Jersey’s military history. One of the Garden State’s most famous and revered military heroes, Basilone served with the Marines in World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest of military decorations, for extraordinary heroism at the battle of Guadalcanal in October 1942. Basilone was credited with almost singlehandedly holding off waves of Japanese assault troops for three days with no food, no water and no break. Kim Van Note is John Basilone’s niece. She co-founded the nonprofit Basilone Memorial Foundation in 2017 along with Don Tozzi, today the president of the Raritan borough council. “I wanted to keep my uncle’s name alive,” said Van Note. “I don’t want the legacy to die, especially with the younger generation. They need to know the sacrifices made by these men and women so we can be free.” The Basilone Foundation raises money for charities — specifically the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset and Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit that provides lodgings for #military and #veteran’s families while a loved one is in the hospital. Read more from #MilitaryMatters:

Amy Shotmeyer Porter, a seasoned litigator and legal adviser, has been named in-house legal counsel at Christian Health, CEO Doug Struyk announced Wednesday. Shotmeyer, who comes to Christian Health from Paramus-based law firm DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin, LLP, brings 15-plus years of experience in affordable housing, risk management, employment law and contract review to the newly created role at the nonprofit health care organization. In her new role, Shotmeyer Porter will lead Christian Health’s legal services, serve as risk manager, and collaborate with various department heads to oversee regulatory and contractual compliance, resident and patient safety, emergency management and quality assurance. Read more:

M&T Bank, in partnership with the New Jersey Small Business Development Center, will be running the next version of its Multicultural Small Business Accelerator Program in Jersey City. The seven-week program, which begins Oct. 1, is designed to develop a diverse set of businesses, promotes business and financial inclusion through empowerment, providing owners with access to information, tools, resources and connections they need to grow and thrive. Read more:

The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has been authorized by its board to enter into a final agreement in September with the Federal Railroad Administration for a $3.8 billion Federal-State Partnership grant to fund the Hudson Tunnel Project. The money is the final funding piece for the $16 billion project to build a new rail tunnel that will carry Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains under the Hudson River into Manhattan. GDC applied for an FSP grant in March 2023, and all $3.8 billion requested was committed in November 2023. Last November, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that the grant would revise the HTP’s funding structure from a 50-50 to a 70-30 split between the federal government and the states, representing the largest-ever federal commitment to a rail mass transit project. Read more:

Black Philanthropy Month, founded by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland in 2011, is celebrated each August to highlight the importance of giving in the Black community. It comes with this key statistic: Research has shown that, despite persistent income inequality and the racial wealth gap, Black Americans give 25% more of their income to charity than other racial groups in the country. ROI-NJ spoke with a small business owner (James Walker), a community development entrepreneur (Nana Duncan) and a leader in corporate philanthropy (Calvin Ledford) about their passions for giving back, the role business leaders play in addressing social and economic issues in their communities and advice they’d offer others looking to get involved in philanthropy. Here's what they had to share:

The County College of Morris received a $100,000 SMILE grant from the Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut Foundation to support development and implementation of two new dental programs, Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene, housed in the forthcoming Center for Health Professions. The grant was established in memory of Dr. Gene F. Napoliello, who for decades served as the chairperson of the Delta Dental foundation and was a passionate advocate for creating greater access to dental care for all. Read more:

Anyone who has ever opened up a family business knows that making it to a second generation of ownership is the toughest task. Metropolitan Window Fashions in Green Brook has done all that and then some. The third-generation family-owned business, renowned for its exceptional window décor services, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in business. Founded by Philip Heyman in 1934, this historic company has thrived through three generations of leadership, remaining a cornerstone of the New Jersey community. The company’s Highway Fabricland was an integral part of its community, and the company also notably owned another known name, Nassau’s Window Fashions in Bergen County. After taking over the business, Bruce Heyman rebranded the company as Metropolitan Window Fashions. As the company celebrates 90 years, it remains committed to serving its communities with the same passion and dedication that have defined its history. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ghKXtbNn

From Military Matters | Prepare to meet the third US Navy vessel to carry the name of the Garden State. The third vessel to be called the USS New Jersey is the Navy’s newest fast attack, nuclear-powered submarine, and it will be commissioned for active duty Sept. 14 at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County. Commissioning is considered by the Navy the most sacred of the four events associated with the launching of a new vessel, according to Peter Engelman, a member of the USS New Jersey (SSN 796) Commissioning Committee and a veteran of five years in the Navy. Read more: