Magic Sports Gets Important Zoning Approvals

Magic SportsMagic Sports Complex moved one step closer to realizing its dream this month when a special zoning board meeting resulted in a vote to approve its proposed zoning changes. The two important variances essential to its progress were for height and use.

The variances allow the complex to build up to 65 feet for its arena, 85 feet for its hotel and 90 feet for its water park. In the proposed building area height has been limited to 35 feet.

The complex will be located on approximately 287 acres off of Lincoln Avenue, near Route 55. In the past, most of the area was used for sand mining. A portion of the Magic Sports acreage had been zoned residential, but all of it has lain dormant.

The presentation to the zoning board was met with overwhelming support by local citizens and businesses. Sandy Forosisky, Vineland’s director of economic development, gave a strong endorsement stating, “Not only is this a good use, but this is the best use we could ever hope for in a million years.”

The variances are now contingent upon Magic Sports returning to the board and getting site plan approval. This will enables them to move forward with full engineering of the project and to make an application for site plans. The plan is expected to be in front of the board in the early spring. The project will also have to obtain some county and state approvals.

The meeting was extensively covered by the local media, including The Daily Journal, the Press of Atlantic City, NJ.com and NBC 40.

Plans Announced for Magic Sports Complex

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Magic Sports Complex of New Jersey announced today initial plans for a proposed major sports complex and destination resort in Vineland, NJ. Plans were submitted on Monday to the Vineland zoning board for review prior to their November 28th regularly scheduled meeting. The proposal was submitted by Magic Sports and its master developer, Sora Northeast Development, of Sewell, NJ.

The Magic Sports Complex is a privately-funded plan to build a large state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor facility that will offer a host of sports related and recreational activities and special events in Vineland. This includes training camps and leagues for competitive tournament events in baseball, softball, soccer and track, among other sports programs. The plan is for the facility to include medical services, health and wellness programs. In addition to the Sports Complex, the project plans include a 4-star hotel with conference facilities, as well as an indoor and outdoor water park to be developed in the Second Phase of the project.

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A recent Vineland land purchase is under agreement with South Jersey Industries’ Energy and Minerals, Inc. for 248.6 acres, with an additional adjacent 40 acres under agreement with local resident Jay Morie. The developers of the Magic Sports Complex of NJ believe the location of the tract is ideally situated for the proposed plans, with access to Route 55 via Lincoln Avenue at the northern end of the parcel, and the southern end bordering Route 55 and the city of Millville.

Magic Sports will offer multiple venues for athletes to train and compete year round, from youth sports to college, professional and olympic training; also paralympics and special population athletes’ competition. Phase I of construction will include a ‘Magic Village’ to house traveling athletes competing in tournaments at the complex, as well as support services and facilities to address the needs of the athletes. A hotel to be developed in Phase II of the project will accommodate the families traveling with the athletes. Plans include developing sports-related career training with television and radio broadcast facilities.

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The proposed plan for the complex is for it to be built in two phases from 2013 through 2015, creating hundreds of permanent jobs as each phase is completed, as well as 200-400 temporary construction jobs. It is projected that this privately-funded complex will create significant tax ratables and economic impact for the city and region. A feasibility study is presently being conducted and expected to be completed by end of year.

About Magic Sports Complex of New Jersey: The innovative concept of the Magic Sports Complex of NJ has been the dream for the past ten years of its visionary founder, Ron Nametko of Manchester Township NJ. His experience in the sports industry, as well as his exhaustive research and team-building to make the goal a reality has brought the project to this point

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Nametko had considered various locations for the best fit for Magic Sports according to the criteria, making it a win-win for the community in which it locates as well as for the athletes in the immediate region and the northeastern United States. His search brought him to Vineland NJ. He has assembled a professional team for the company and forged a development partnership with master developer Sora Northeast Development of Sewell NJ. Sora Northeast will take the project through the process of approvals and coordinate and direct the entire project development with the selected contractors.

About SORA Northeast Development LLC: SORA Northeast Development is headed by Greg Filipek, who has more than 30 years of development and construction experience in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York.

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The SORA Northeast team encompasses a broad background in planning, financing and building of residential, retail and commercial projects. As Development Managers of the proposed $350M Magic Sports Complex, the development team coordinates every aspect of the project with the selected contractors. Successful developments today require comprehensive plans embodying a synergistic model that targets specific uses for each planned space. Their successful experience as developers and master redevelopers in public-private partnerships result in success for all parties involved in the relationship.

A recent SORA project of the former SORA Holdings in New Jersey as master redeveloper, has garnered national news and awards as an example of smart growth principals in municipal downtown revitalization. The $300m Rowan Boulevard project, connecting the Glassboro, NJ, Central Business District with Rowan University via a newly constructed boulevard, recreates a downtown with 884 student housing beds, a hotel conference center, 200,000sf of retail, including a 36,000sf Barnes and Noble Super Collegiate Bookstore, 150,000sf of commercial office space, and 700 new units of residential.  For more information on SORA Northeast, please visit www.soranortheast.com.