When Gov. Chris Christie came to Atlantic City for the official groundbreaking for the Gateway project, he talked about all the partnerships that had brought the $220 million project to fruition.
Next to him was a sign listing those partnerships, including Stockton University, South Jersey Gas, the Atlantic County Improvement Authority and the Atlantic City Development Corp.
Less than a decade ago, such public/private partnerships were not allowed, leading the state’s nine public colleges to borrow almost $4 billion to meet their construction needs, from new classrooms to student housing. Those costs were passed on to students as facilities fees, costing as much as $1,000 per year. Today, private developers are picking up more of the cost and more of the responsibility. The result can be more complicated and may sometimes be more expensive. But college officials say they couldn’t do it any other way.