Garden State Times

State Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris/Passaic) is calling for the legislature to advance his bill that would direct the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) to conduct a feasibility study of the Meadowlands convention center project. Pennacchio’s legislation, S375—which was first introduced in 2008 and reintroduced in January of this year—directs the NJSEA to undertake a feasibility study of establishing and operating a convention center project on or near the site of the arena project owned and operated by the authority within the Meadowlands complex.

The Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce released its own feasibility study for a new convention center a year ago, calling its economic impact “overwhelming.” They cited the cost of a convention center and hotel costs to be $2.1 billion, with the convention center costing $1.6 billion.

Pennacchio emphasized the importance of the state conducting its own study regarding the potential convention center project, stating, "If the state is going to consider a convention center, the state itself should conduct its own study and not rely on an outside party. The Meadowlands redevelopment—with a convention center attracting thousands of people paying millions of dollars—is certainly something that should be looked at, and the time to do it is now."

The proposed complex would aim to be a state-of-the-art facility that could rival the Javits Center in Manhattan, which opened in 1986 and is nearly 40 years old. Pennacchio also highlighted the need for New Jersey to take control of its economic destiny, pointing out, "New York has no problem directing to New Jersey what they feel is in their best interests, such as congestion pricing. It is time to take control of our own economic destiny."