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DOT gives Lion's Head Plaza project green light.

Courier-Post Staff

03/14/2009

Final approval from the New Jersey Department of Transportation was issued Friday for the commencement of the Lion's Head Plaza redevelopment project in Somerdale.

A groundbreaking was held in October for the Cooper Towne Center, but shovels had yet to move dirt because of a delay at the DOT. "It's been bogged down at the DOT because we want to put in a traffic light at the White Horse Pike, which is a state highway," said Somerdale Mayor Gary Passanante. "Because it's a significant project and a major change, DOT has been heavily involved in this and the approval process."

The 380,000-square-foot Cooper Towne Center will feature a Wal-Mart Supercenter and LA Fitness club. Nearly 150,000 square feet are being added to the mostly vacant Lion's Head Plaza. National Realty & Development Corporation of Purchase, N.Y., is the project's developer. The town center will have brick sidewalks, a main street, clock tower, a downtown facade and a park area with benches.

With cooperation from the Borough of Magnolia, the township has been working on redeveloping the site for seven years."It's been slow-going," Passanante said. "I anticipated this would be in the ground a couple of years ago, but it's been at the DOT for four years."

The DOT said it has followed the necessary access permit application process, which includes the review of all proposed construction plans by department personnel, but without approval no construction could begin. "Once all of the necessary permits are approved construction can begin on the proposed new traffic signal,"

DOT spokesman Tim Greeley, said Friday afternoon. "We approved the plans today."

Construction on the project is expected to take 10 months. "I'm extremely thrilled that we finally got this project off the ground and it's going to move ahead, particularly in today's economy where projects are stopping everywhere," Passanante said. "It was seven years of hard work to get to where we are today."

Reach Kristy Davies at (856) 486-2917 or at krdavies@camden.gannett.com

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