State Expert Backs Redevelopment Plan for East Rutherford, N.J., Arena Site.

Byline: Alex Nussbaum

Apr. 27--EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The huge redevelopment plan at Continental Arena wouldn't clog local roads or worsen air pollution, and any of its other environmental impacts could be minimized, a state consultant said at a public hearing on Monday.

Critics of the $1.3 billion Xanadu proposal rejected the rosy scenario, however, saying the developer had yet to produce key reports on wetlands, parking, and other factors. Without those details, there's no way to assess the effects, they said.

The start of the weeklong hearing at Giants Stadium was dominated by skeptics, who said the project was being rushed through, and union workers, who said it would be a boon for the economy.

"For an individual like me, it could mean up to two years of work," Phillip Sosinski, an installer of fire suppression systems, testified at the session. "I will use the complex. My family will use the complex."

The massive project would create a retail, entertainment, office, and hotel mega-development around the arena, covering 5 million square feet with 13,000 additional parking spaces. Xanadu's attractions, highlighted in glitzy videos at the hearing, would include a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, a baseball stadium, and an indoor ski slope.

Supporters say it would produce 20,000 construction jobs and an equal number of permanent positions when completed in 2010.