TROUBLED AND CANCELED DAIBES PROJECT BACK AGAIN

Daibes groundbreaking back in 2013

Remember the Daibes housing/retail project at Burnett and Springfield Avenue that was cancelled because of continued delays by the developers stretching back more than three years?

Well it may be back.

Township Attorney Roger Desiderio last week informed the Township Committee that negotiations are in the works for an agreement by which the project could resume with a new development agreement and new requirements for work to be completed by specific dates.

Mayor Vic Deluca said part of the new deal would require the developer, which still owns the property, to place $100,000 in to escrow and allow a monitor to be appointed to keep track of the process.

You may recall the project, first announced in 2013, was delayed on several occasions and the developers, Daibes Construction, were even cited for changing contractors without approval.

The project was halted on Oct. 21 after the Township Committee voted to cancel its development agreement. Since then, the shell of the building as it stood when work ended has remained.

But Desiderio told the TC last week that Daibes had requested a new deal to bring the project back and they would appear before the TC at the next meeting on Dec. 15.

See his update below: