The developer will be seeking approval of its proposal, whichwill be presented to township officials at a meeting tonight. Theproject would be one of the largest single commercial developmentsin New Jersey, so on that basis alone it raises a number ofquestions involving everything from traffic and congestion, toenvironmental impact.

"We will take a look at property facts, impact on the community,labor statistics, tax issues and the economic benefits to bederived," says Michael Bascom, CFO and director of economicdevelopment for Neptune Twp. "This project would serve a distinctneed in Monmouth County, especially for technology-relatedcompanies, but there are a number of issues that need to beaddressed."

The development would be near the Garden State Parkway andI-195. The 167 acres targeted for the venture are vacant andlocated in a non-residential area. Garden State Hi-Tech Park, aprivately owned company made up of principals who own more than 100properties in the NJ/NY/CT area, propose to build 18 multi-storybuildings for corporate and technology-based tenants. The plan alsocalls for a 12-story, first-class hotel and conference center.Seventy acres will be maintained as open space, most of which willbe reserved.