Delaware County:

First Hotel in 35 Years to be Built in Chester

Plans for a $50 million redevelopment of the neighborhood around Widener University include the construction of the City's first new hotel in 35 years. Set to open in October, Best Western Widener Hotel will offer 60 rooms and anchor the University Crossings project to help revitalize Chester through attracting businesses and jobs for the city. The hotel will feature an exercise room, business center, breakfast area, and shuttle service to Philadelphia International Airport .

In all, three four story buildings are planned for Providence Avenue. University Crossings will provide 115 new jobs, and is expected to generate an estimated $8.4 million in tax revenue at the local, county, and state levels. <Back to main page>

CHESTER County:

L.L. Bean Comes to Uptown Worthington

Burlington County:

Deborah Receives Accreditation Renewal

Deborah Heart & Lung Center hospital in Burlington County received a 39-month re-accreditation after an in-depth on-site visit by Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Organizations (JCAHO) inspectors earlier this year. The accreditation confirms that Deborah adheres to the strictest standards of quality care in the hospital industry.

According to JCAHO, the organization has been accrediting hospitals in the country for more than 50 years. Its accreditation is a nationwide seal of approval, and demonstrates exceptional hospitals’ implementation of improved performance and raised levels of patient care to the high level required by JCAHO.“We are pleased that Deborah has met JCAHO’s exacting standards,” said Deborah President and CEO John Ernst. “JCAHO’s seal of approval is one more quality testimonial underscoring the quality of our program.” <Back to main page>

New law firm opens in Mount Laurel

Gloucester County:

Virtua Health breaks ground on New Location in Washington Township

Virtua Health last month officially broke ground on its Health and Wellness Center in Washington Township on Huffville-Cross Keys Road. The $31 million, 225,000-square-foot facility on 40 acres is expected to open in summer 2009.

The building will be home to a treatment center for minor, unexpected injuries and illnesses, a high-risk pregnancy center, and a diabetes management program. It will also house an imaging, physical therapy and specialists' offices, as well as a fitness center, spa and cafe.
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Mercer County:

Mercer County, Princeton Borough Open Renovated Potts Park

Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes and Princeton Borough Councilman Andrew Koontz were joined this month by local residents as they cut a ribbon to open the borough's improved and upgraded Potts Park.

The park, located at the intersection of Tee Ar Place and Erdman Avenue, was created in 1960 after the land was donated by a local developer, Theodore R. Potts, in the mid-1950s. Despite its small size and the fact that the park is tucked away in a neighborhood in the eastern section of Princeton Borough, it is heavily utilized by local residents and was in need of major upgrades.

After assessing the park's needs, borough officials last year applied for funding for improvements through the County's "Mercer at Play" program, a matching grant program initiated by Hughes in 2006 that encourages municipalities to join together to rehabilitate or create athletic fields or active recreation facilities. Municipalities can also receive individual, partial matching grants from the County for new active recreation projects.

The park was outfitted with a variety of new equipment, including a new slide, new sandbox, new swings, benches, and other recreational pieces. The park's basketball court was also resurfaced and new basketball goals were installed, while the park also features new asphalt walking paths. <Back to main page>

Camden County:

Gloucester City Planning Riverside Entertainment Location

An entertainment corridor along the Delaware River is in the works for Gloucester City as part of a strategy to revitalize older, underused retail districts. The initiative is in response to a “community insights” study conducted last year, in which community residents expressed desire for a nicer, more accessible city.

First up in the plan is a 150-person party boat called “The Flagship”, which began sailing June 1st and offers sightseeing tours and group charters. The city is also currently looking to open a stylish restaurant and lounge on Freedom Pier, and a hip retail strip on the waterfront.
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Montgomery County:

New Expo Center to Open in Montco

Montgomery County will soon be home to a new 210,000 square-foot expo center set to open in January of 2009. The facility, which will be called The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, will help to fill the void left when the Fort Washington Expo Center closed in 2006. The Fort Washington Center hosted about 80 events per year and collected close to $280 million. The Greater Philadelphia Center hopes to attract the same amount of events at its site, which can accommodate 1,000 booths and offers free parking for up to 5,000 cars.

The first convention will be the Great Train Expo, set for January 3-4. Other future events include a boat show, a golf show, an RV convention, a pet show, and a baseball card collectors' show. The Center will be located off the Oaks exit of Route 422 in the Marketplace at Oaks.
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Bucks County:

Furniture and Mattress Retailer Opens Largest Store

Mealey's Furniture & Mattress, which operates three other stores in the Greater Philadelphia Region, opened its largest store yet at the CenterPoint Shopping Center at Street and York Roads on July 1. The store features separate areas for leather, home office, recliners, casual and formal rooms, and dining furniture.

The new location has nearly double the capacity and options of the other three Mealey's stores, and includes amenities like a café and a children's area with snacks and video games. The new store will add between 50 and 60 jobs. <Back to main page>

Philadelphia County:

Style Hotel Set to Open Near Airport

Aloft Hotels, the latest brand in the Starwood Hotel family, will open its new facility near the Philadelphia Airport in September. The lifestyle hotel features an urban-influenced design, accessible technology and social atmosphere. Guests will enjoy rooms with nine foot ceilings and oversized windows, as well as wireless internet access and a one-stop connectivity solution for PDAs, cell phones, mp3 players and laptops - all linked to a 42” flat panel HDTV ready television for optimal sound and viewing. Rates for the hotel, located at 4301 Island Avenue , average between $200 and $299 per night. <Back to main page>

Women's Soccer Coming to Philadelphia

Men's professional soccer was not enough for the city of Philadelphia ; the city is soon to be home to a women's squad as well. The new team will be a part of Women's Professional Soccer , a new league set to begin play next year. The Philadelphia team, which has yet to be named, will join the league in 2010. Home games will be played at the stadium in Chester being built for the Philadelphia Major League Soccer team. <Back to main page>

NEW CASTLE County:

State Retains Business in Delaware

Governor Ruth Ann Minner dedicated the new site opening of Corn Products Specialty Ingredients, an operating unit of Corn Products, U.S., in Newark, DE during a ribbon-cutting ceremony this month. Formerly the foods business of SPI Polyols Inc., the company chose to continue operating in Delaware after it was acquired by Corn Products International in Feb. 2007, retaining approximately 20 sustainable-wage jobs in the State.

“Despite difficult financial times, Delaware has continually worked to attract new businesses and grow existing companies that contribute to our state’s economy,” said Governor Ruth Ann Minner. “I am pleased that companies like Corn Products International continue to recognize the value of our
uniquely friendly business environment, strategic location, strong workforce and quality of life.”

Headquartered in Westchester, Ill., Corn Products International is a leading supplier of starches,
sweeteners and other ingredients. The company provides a wide variety of ingredients to customers in more than 60 industries, including the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, animal feed, corrugating, paper and textile sectors.

“I want to thank Governor Minner for helping us celebrate our new presence in Newark,” said Jack
Fortnum, vice president of Corn Products International, Inc. and president of the Company’s North
America Division. “Corn Products is committed to growing its polyols business, and we look forward to a beneficial relationship with the people of Delaware.”

The Newark site consists of the main business office, applications research and technical services
laboratory, and product development facility for the Corn Products’ polyols product line within the
U.S. and Canada. Polyols are sugar-free, reduced calorie sweeteners primarily derived from starch.
They are used in sugar-free and reduced-sugar food and candy products, such as sugar-free gum,
toothpaste, mouthwash, sugar-free hard candy and no-sugar added ice cream.
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