To get to the heart of the matter, Mayor Sharpe James has appointed a 12-person commission to take a close look at the plan. Headed by Patrick Hobbs, dean of the Seton Hall Law School, the panel includes such names as former congressman Jim Courter, who heads the locally based IDT; Ralph Izzo, president of PSE&G; and the Rev. William Watley, who also heads the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission.
Besides making general recommendations on the overall redevelopment plan, the commission is charged with suggesting "certain parameters that should be included in the final agreement between the Devils and the City of Newark," according to James, in a written statement. "I look forward to the report … .we have said from the beginning that this project is not about building an arena for the Devils, but a comprehensive revitalization plan."
The commission, which has an unspecified budget to hire analysts and collect comments, won't have much time. They've been given 90 days, with a rough deadline of June 1, to present their findings to the mayor's office. That time frame isn't etched in stone however: Because the financial details of the arena deal still have to be worked out, the deadline for the commission's report is expected to be extended, according to observers.
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