Wrightstown NJ (Browns Mills, Burlington, Fort Dix: for sale, hotel, houses)

[Badday]

Anyone from Wrightstown here. I use to live there around 40 years ago, long time. Just wondering.

[Gerania]

No, I don't live there but I've been there a few times. I ate lunch in a German restaurant in town a couple of years ago.

It's not been doing well in recent years thought there are some revitalization projects planned.

[Badday]

Yea, I heard it has gone down quite a bit, especially after 9/11. The army cut off transportation through the area with a checkpoint or something around ft dix and that hurt the business there. Wrightstown use to be a nice little town when I was there, of course the Vietnam war was on then, and Wrightstowns revenue came from Ft dix and Mcguire air force base. But, I am glad I left there, it was getting pretty boring when I left and I'm glad I moved.

[South Jersey Styx]

Wrightstown is about to change thanks to all the development related to the megabase (McGuire AFB-Fort Dix-Lakehurst Naval). Evidently, Fort Dix has returned 42 acres of land back to Wrightstown for development. Bids were reviewed last summer for a developer to re-do a new downtownwith shops and restaurants and to build a new hotel/conference center. Construction started in the Fall. Has anybody seen the old downtown Wrightstown lately? I grew up in the area and remember lots of bars and prostitutes--but today, everything has been torn down and razed in prepraration of the new projects.Furthermore, Burlington County was given $1 million for protected lands within a 2mi radius of the megabase = 800 acres. Wrightstown is going to change dramatically as well as the surrounding area.

[Gerania]

I didn't realize that Fort Dix had given the land back. Good News! I know that tear down had started. I read an article the other day which said something about contracts being signed - something to do with building. Thank goodness, it's been talked about for years.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Gerania

I didn't realize that Fort Dix had given the land back. Good News! I know that tear down had started. I read an article the other day which said something about contracts being signed - something to do with building. Thank goodness, it's been talked about for years.

Yes, I've been reading articles too. So Badday, if you're interested, just Google "Wrightstown NJ" and "megabase" and take a look at the different articles. Sometimes, though, I am wondering if I am reading the most updated material, so if anyone hears differently, please correct me! I'm glad to see Wrightstown revitalized. And I hope Browns Mills will follow soon as it needs a major facelift and development.

Another topic: I read that because of the megabase, they are planning to send ALL of their school children to North Hanover Schools and Northern Burlington H.S. It used to be that only the Air Force kids went there and the Army-Ft Dix children went to the Pemberton Twp Schools. Pemberton Twp Education folks are not happy as their schools have always accommodated Army students. And federal dollars that went to Pemberton Twp Schools would now go to North Hanover. Furthermore, there's supposed to be a NJ State Law dictating this arrangement that would need to be changed? Has anyone heard anything about this or if it's already been resolved?

[Badday]

I didn't know about the towns and shops. But I could see it, especially if the Army eases the transportation between FT Dix and Wrightstown and building a megabase, I guess. That's basically all there was when I lived there, small shops, resturants and stuff. I grew up in that area to, went to school at New Hanover, my Dad was stationed at Ft Dix at the time, the area your talking about that the Army is giving back to Wrightstown I believe was the Nelson Court area, of Ft Dix, I lived there for a few years, man time sure has changed. I guess I shouldn't give away to much information, it's been to long!

[dhanu86]

McGuire is busy as ever. Falcon Court started IDing people upon entrance I think since 9/11. FortDix is semi-abandoned and the same Illusions bar stands but has a different name. That furniture plaza looks beaten, is that the one being re-done? The pizza shop across FedEx is busy as ever. People still come on july4th. I haven't seen signs of mega-base construction yet but it's suppose to merge all bases meaning that if u have access to FortDix - u have access to the whole area, correct me if im wrong.

[South Jersey Styx]

I read that the area being re-done is Fort Dix Street/Avenue. That's the main street that comes from the circle (where the commissary and PX/BX are) and straight into Wrightstown. That would be their new "Main Street" I suppose.

I don't know the details about that furniture store plaza or other nearby businesses. I do know that that the large shopping center which once had an ACME and Jamesway is currently for sale.

As far as access to everything - Fort Dix and McGuire AFB are already joined. But I am not sure about Lakehurst. Someone told me that the roads in the back (Range Road) go all the way east to Lakehurst and could possibly be joined that way.

Nelson Courts? I think they've been knocked down but not sure. I lived in Garden Terrace, near Fort Dix Elementary. Houses in Garden Terrace are being renovated or completed torn down and re-built with 2-story models. The housing complex across from Garden Terrace, Kennedy Courts, has been torn down.

[Badday]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

Nelson Courts? I think they've been knocked down but not sure. I lived in Garden Terrace, near Fort Dix Elementary. Houses in Garden Terrace are being renovated or completed torn down and re-built with 2-story models. The housing complex across from Garden Terrace, Kennedy Courts, has been torn down.

I vaguely remember Garden Terrace and Kennedy Courts, been there, but it's been a long time. Had a lot of fun there as a little squirt growing up. I use to walk from Nelson Courts to Kennedy and Garden Terrace, I remember either Garden Terrace or Kennedy Courts one of the two as being a little more upscale than Nelson Courts, I think the higher stripes lived in that area, I guess the lower rank in Nelson Courts. I forgot what school I went to while living on base, but later after my parents decided to move to Wrightstown I attended New Hanover, then later Bordentown High. I read something about Nelson Courts a few years ago in the online Wrightstown page, where they had to do some renovation underneath the Housing due to asbestos pipes, so they may have decided to tear it down instead, or maybe they head to remove the asbestos before demolition, not sure. But, if anyone has any recent pictures of Wrightstown area, and willing to post them or EMail, I'd appreciate it. Not that I am all that amused with Wrightstown, but I wouldn't mind seeing what it looks like now compared to when I was there some 35 to 40 years ago. AS far as living there, Nah! Would not think it! Found a link about Nelson Courts and Sheridan Village, I forgot about Sheridan Village.......http://books.google.com/books?id=pMw...t+dix#PPA86,M1