Racetrack builders shift into high gear
"This will change the face of Millville
By EDWARD VAN EMBDEN
Staff Writer, Press of Atlantic City:
Saturday, June 23, 2007
MILLVILLE - A cloud of dust rose up around yellow construction vehicles Friday as they cleared land in western Millville for the city's new Thunderbolt Raceway.
The process - three years in the making - finally began after a wire transfer of $2.8 million from New Jersey Motorsports Park to Millville and the Delaware River & Bay Authority cleared Thursday, ending what to that point could only be referred to as speculation.
So far, building this track has been one long, hard road.
The completion of the deal marks a significant achievement for Millville and Cumberland County as the project, which will cost about $150 million when complete, is expected to bring in new revenue and help change the culture of a city seeking change.
Mayor Jim Quinn had been waiting - ever since he visited Virginia International Speedway, saw what a track can do for a community and envisioned one in Millville - for these yellow trucks to start their work.
With how close this deal has been to completion and how long is has taken, it wasn't until Thursday - when the wire transfer went through - that Quinn knew the raceway would be a reality.
“It was like a thousand pounds were lifted off my shoulders,” Quinn said. “It had been dragging on forever.
“It just shows you when you're dealing with so many levels of bureaucracy how long it can take to get everyone on the same page.”
Quinn said that bureaucracy could have frustrated the Motorsports developers and prompted them to abandon the project, but that it was too perfect and stuck with it.
“I think they realized,” Quinn said. “That this will change the face of Millville.”
A laundry list of issues from government bodies and local activists accompanied the project's development since it became a serious endeavor two years ago.
There were lawsuits from environmental groups concerned about traffic and the displacement of the area's wildlife.
There were complaints from the Federal Aviation Administration over the sale of airport land for the project.
There were issues, lots of them, and they came from many directions.
But despite the calls to do so, Thunderbolt Raceway would never be abandoned.
“This was the brass ring that we had to go after,” Quinn said. “We weren't going to ever give up, there were just some obstacles we had to overcome.”
One of the project's largest supporters - Quinn identified Democrats and Republicans on all levels of government as supportive - has been Gov. Jon S. Corzine.
“Corzine asked me what the two most important things for Millville were, and I told him one, the racetrack, and number two, the 55-and-over community,” Quinn said. “He said he would be supportive.”
While the 55-and-over community is still on the drawing board, Corzine did his part to encourage construction of the raceway, including signing a bill that would allow Millville to charge an additional 2 cents sales tax on every dollar spent on racetrack property.
The construction of the raceway is in its first phase, which is expected to be complete as early as spring. Millville will get an idea then how big of an impact it will have on the city and whether it proves to be in anyway bothersome.
At the Millville Wings & Wheels Air Show on Memorial Day weekend, Millville Airport had to accommodate a weekend crowd that totaled more than 70,000. Center city experienced hours of gridlock as thousands of drivers tried to leave at the same time.
And that was only one weekend. Thunderbolt Raceway will hold at least six major races over the course of its first year, and race officials expect to attract about 25,000 fans to each event.
So far, Quinn said, the city's plan for the traffic seems to hinge on a belief that the number of incoming and outgoing fans will be staggered. There's also a plan to reroute traffic away from downtown to ease congestion.
The positive impacts on the community outweigh the few negatives, Quinn said, noting that 20 raceway villas already have been sold for $400,000 apiece.
The new ratables, filled with generally wealthy tenants without children, will help generate more revenue for the city and cut down on costs, he said.
Quinn further emphasized the impact of the raceway on the rest of the city. The Arts District in Millville's redeveloped downtown has been the city's greatest achievement in recent memory and also its greatest concern.
While the boutiques, restaurants and art galleries on High Street specifically illustrate a decisive shift in Millville's personality, the largest concern was and continues to be the necessary foot traffic to support it.
“I see a solidifying of the Arts District,” Quinn said. “That's always scared me, they've been on the bubble.
“We don't have the feet on the street to support the downtown, but (with the raceway) they will flourish, I'm sure.”