Unknown relocation date frustrates NJ Books owner

The sign on the front of the New Jersey Books on 108 Somerset St. indicating the store is moving used to provide specific dates.
But after NJ Books owner Ed Mueller was told he would be able to move into the new site at 39 Easton Ave. from his current location — first in March, then April, then June, then September — he finally realized he was unsure when he will be moving and decided to no longer post moving dates.
The new 18,000-square-foot store — which Mueller said he invested more than half a million dollars into — is ready-to-go. He already put new fixtures in the store, new shelves, state-of-the-art computers, a security system and other equipment needed for the store to operate efficiently.
The store was ready to be moved to a new location in 2007 so that construction of New Brunswick Development Corporation’s Gateway project — which will be located on Somerset Street and Easton Avenue — can begin, University Spokesman E.J. Miranda said.
“Rutgers offered the Easton Avenue property to help resolve the dispute between the city, DEVCO and New Jersey Books and help move the Gateway project forward,” Miranda said.
But Thom Ammirato, an eminent domain activist assisting Mueller with the property condemnation, said he is unsure whether the issue is a financial one or not, but he questions whether the University is the one having issues with financing the project.
“I think the key question here is what is Rutgers’ financial commitment to the Gateway project,” he said.
Mueller said Mayor Jim Cahill and DEVCO have been trying very hard to get him into his new store.
“They seemed pretty sincere,” he said. “They called me, kept in contact with me — they really did everything they could. It seems that Rutgers is the hold up.”
Mueller said he was looking forward to moving into the new store for almost a year now.
Ammirato said the University is not informing him and Mueller about anything.
“Rutgers is holding all the cards in their hands and they’re not letting us know what is going on,” he said.
But Miranda said the University fully intends and will be happy to sign any necessary documents that will complete the move of NJ Books from Somerset Street to Easton Avenue, as soon as DEVCO meets the necessary obligations.
“Rutgers has a responsibility to its students, faculty, governing boards and the citizens of New Jersey to prudently manage its resources and we cannot move forward with the transaction until the mutually agreed upon terms are met,” he said.
Those terms required DEVCO to secure financing for the Gateway, obtain the necessary development approvals to construct the Gateway and to transfer property at the Gateway over to the University, at the same time that the University sold 39 Easton Ave. to DEVCO, he said.
“DEVCO agreed to those terms, but has not yet completed them,” Miranda said.
DEVCO President Christopher Paladino said the delay of the moving process is due to a number of housekeeping items that must be completed in agreements between the University and DEVCO.
“We fully anticipate that [NJ Books] will be up and running in anticipation of the second semester,” Paladino said.
The ready look of the new building and the fact that NJ Books is still working at their present location is confusing University students.
“I thought they were moving last semester and then I heard they were moving this semester,” School of Environmental of Biological Sciences junior Shakira Williams said.
She said she is confused about whether or not the store will ever move to their new location and that she was surprised to see the Somerset Street location still in use.
“I thought they would have moved in by now,” she said. “[The new store] looks ready and definitely better because it’s a lot bigger. NJ Books is always so crowded because it’s so small.”

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