Business Report: Health care systems expanding, government contracts, offshore wind projects | Video – NJ Spotlight

The AtlantiCare health system broke ground Tuesday on a new $38 million Medical Arts Pavilion in Atlantic City. Land for the pavilion was donated by the Casino Reinvestment Authority, which also pledged $15 million to the project. According to AtlantiCare, the new facility will allow it to expand access to care for underserved populations when it opens late next year.

The Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills is proceeding with a $100 million capital improvement project, after receiving federal funding. It will break ground in a few months on a new addition that is also scheduled for completion next year.

Several groups in the state are protesting a bill they say would shut out some New Jersey companies from government contracts on construction projects. The bill, which has advanced through the Legislature, would require that more public works projects use construction companies that abide by union rules. The African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey opposes the legislation. Founder and CEO John Harmon says the measure would hurt Black- and Hispanic-owned companies, most of which are nonunion. The bill is also opposed by the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey.

With the Biden administration looking to expand offshore-wind projects off the New Jersey coast, the state is taking steps to make sure workers are prepared for clean-energy jobs. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development has a $1 million grant available to fund job-training programs as part of a partnership with Public Service Electric and Gas, with the aim of recruiting and training 2,000 workers, particularly from the states big cities. PSE&G is a funder of NJ Spotlight News.

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Business Report: Health care systems expanding, government contracts, offshore wind projects | Video - NJ Spotlight