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December 2020 Dear Hunterdon Business, Commercial Property Owners and Members of the Business Community, We are pleased to provide you with an update as to the status of the all-important “Courthouse Square” redevelopment in Flemington Borough; a project that will certainly be a boom to our County Seat’s economy as well as area businesses. At the present time, the redeveloper seeks one last site plan approval, which we hope will be secured before the end of this year or early 2021. Should that be the case, the major redevelopment work would begin perhaps as early as April of 2021. In the meantime, a great deal of expense and effort has been provided to shore up the Union Hotel building. Structural work is being done and the old addition at the back of the Hotel will be taken down in preparation of the next phase. Jack Cust, the redeveloper, reports that the “front end,” what is viewed from Main Street, will be the focus of the first phase of development. We are extremely excited that a well-known restaurant operator will take over the first floor of the Hotel. There will be a great new pub located in either the Potting Shed or Bank building. 82 Main St, the white building between the Potting Shed and the Police Station, will be taken down and become the “plaza” which will host events throughout the year. The Police Station itself, will remain a Police Station at a rental rate of $1/year, until the Town Council opts to relocate its police force in favor of a tax ratable. If the redeveloper is able to start work in the spring as planned, the Main Street “front end” project should be completed by the end of 2021. We are sure that this will be a beautiful site for anyone traveling through town and certainly a huge catalyst for local businesses! We are pleased to report that the redeveloper is working with one of the finest builders in the state and that all parties are working well with the town’s municipal government - and we wish to thank them for their support. As the first phase along Main Street is completed, the next phase will begin. Cust and his development team believe using a two-step approach is the quickest path to restoring the economic vitality of Main Street. We will then anticipate more and more exciting developments. On behalf of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce we would like to wish everyone a Very Happy & Safe Holiday Season! With best regards, Christopher J. Phelan President