Mayor on Merck: We Hope to Know More in Next 6 Months

At Tuesday evening's meeting of the Summit Common Council, Mayor Ellen Dickson told the council and public that the City of Summit "hopes to know something more in the next six months" regarding the vacancy that will be created when Merck exits its 88-acre campus in 2015.

Dickson's remarks were in response to Republican council candidate Mike McTernan's comments in which he suggested that the town not "prejudge the outcome of this (the sale of Merck)" in so far as making changes in zoning laws without knowing who a prospective buyer might be. 

"This is an opportunity, I think, as much as a challenge for the city to get the right company in there and I applaud Mayor Dickson's strong dialogue with Merck," he said.

McTernan added that it is important to note that Merck and Summit's interests are aligned and stated that it's critical that the two work together. As he mentioned at the previous meeting, McTernan said keeping the city's "fiscal house in order" is of great importance as challenges on the revenue side are easier to deal with when costs are kept under control. 

Following his comments, Dickson said, "The highest and best use is a similar use and I think that's what's happening right now. There's a fair amount of activity on the site. If that doesn't pan out, we may have to look at different ways to configure the site, maybe have two or three or four different companies there. There's many, many options. It's a fairly active site and, hopefully, we'll know something more in the next six months."

Councilman Robert Rubino added that he attended a fundraiser last week where he had an opportunity to speak with Gov. Chris Christie about the impending vacancy. He said the New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act of 2013 was making it more attractive for companies to do business in the Garden State. Rubino said in addition to enlisting the governor's help in spreading the word and the mayor and council's efforts, members of the business community are also putting the message out there.