STEVE KALAFER and JOE FORGIONE WANT TO BUY A POST OFFICE!
Mayor DeLuca introduced a new ordinance this week that would clear the way for Steve and Joe to buy the Post Office site, all cash deal, sometime this month. Steve and Joe could be new neighbors before Thanksgiving! And that’s without worrying about Planning Board approval, or sewer repairs, or anything else, really. They just get to own it. It’s theirs. See the smiles?
Steve and Joe are both local–from New Jersey!
Steve owns the Somerset Patriots Minor baseball team, and seventeen car dealerships in Flemington! Read more here.
Joe owns JMF Properties. They build big buildings, in a lot of places. Read more here.
Mayor DeLuca is expediting matters so that Joe can get a tax break–Joe sold the PSE&G site to Avalon Bays earlier this year and the profit would be taxable unless he invests it in another property–for example, a post office. It may also be so that no one needs to look at his latest site plan very closely–which was filed last week, and has not been reviewed yet. Or perhaps having a tax-break in-the-pocket, and Steve Kalafer made owner (by a recent change to sale agreement) is a way to bank-roll defense of any public appeal of the approval process. Or maybe it is because Jerry Ryan and Kathy Leventhal leave office in six weeks–and their flawless “yes” voting on this project might not be forthcoming from Greg Lembrich and Nancy Adams.
The tax break is written into the agreement being signed, so we know that is fact. And Nancy and Greg just won the election, so that is fact too. Is anyone hoping to avoid another long Planning Board meeting, or the risk of an appeal?–that we can’t say for sure. But it sure seems like Vic is in a hurry to sell this land no matter what!
WE KNOW, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYTHING WAS OVER…GREG and NANCY WERE ELECTED, AND THAT DESIGN COMMITTEE SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK. NEWS TODAY IS VIC WANTS TO SELL THIS PROJECT ASAP, BEFORE GREG IS IN OFFICE, SO JOE CAN GET A TAX BREAK! SO MORE NEWS IS COMING…ADD YOUR EMAIL BELOW IF YOU WANT MORE UPDATES. THANKS!
Oh No 60 
I knew Joe Forgione some 15 years ago as a legal assistant doing large construction and permanent loan closings for the BANKS giving his companies loans. I always found Joe personally to be a gentleman, and a straight shooter to work with. His companies and affiliated partners have done some major building in Northern NJ and more importantly, have completed their projects in timely fashion. While I do not personally agree with the direction of the Post Office project, I believe it is a done deal for someone to develop and Maplewood is lucky to have ended up with Forgione. For an example, look at the Daibes site on Springfield Avenue; still not finished years after approved. I also did work with Daibes and their present participation in Maplewood echoes what I remember of his past dealings–not great.
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Linda, thanks for your insights. If at times we ever seem to question Joe’s character, professionalism, or successes, we want to assure you and everyone that follow us that our focus is only on the suitability of Joe’s experience, and his proposal, to our town. His intention to complete this project is never in doubt from our perspective. Perhaps if Joe or his partner in this venture were more present, and certainly more forthcoming, there would be a greater dialog as to type of project that would be responsive to community needs. Remember, the proposal here is to sell a public asset. Joe ought to meet the seller–that is, the taxpayers of Maplewood. As long as explicit discussion of community needs is lacking in the definition of his proposal–and we do firmly believe it is woefully lacking–we will continue to present the information we have available, and encourage citizens to expect more. We hope you will continue to follow us! Thank you for your comment.
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