TRENTON – Senator Paul Sarlo, a member of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee, released the following statement on today’s committee hearing into the fiscal health and future of the Meadowlands:
“While we can discuss best practices for operating the Meadowlands, one thing is clear: This is New Jersey’s most valuable piece of real estate.
“The Meadowlands is much more than just the home of a football field, arena, horse-track and entertainment complex. It is a thriving stand-alone business and commercial hub that provides thousands of jobs and brings billions of dollars worth of economic activity to our state.
“The ‘who’ and ‘how’ of operating the sports complex is only one part of a multi-dimensional and multi-billion-dollar conversation.
“Certainly, we need to ensure that the sports complex is run efficiently and to the best interests of the state and its residents.
“What cannot be forgotten is that the Meadowlands is open for business every day, not just Sunday. We must also ensure that the entire Meadowlands region is given the ability to continue to grow as an economic power in the Northeast.”
“Moving forward, we need to stop fighting the regional battles that pit North Jersey versus South, and identify solutions that allow us to capture as much revenue as we can from the State’s united sports and entertainment vehicles. By creating a coordinated sports and entertainment economic plan that recognizes the value of Atlantic City, Monmouth Park, The Prudential Arena and the Meadowlands sports complex, we can all benefit.”