THE HAMPSHIRE GROUP DISCLOSED BY PRONTI AS THE REDEVELOPER WHO DONATED THE “FREE” WATER FOUNTAIN THAT COST $238,800 TO INSTALL!
NORTH ARLINGTON – Based on recent reporting, the “free” water fountain was apparently donated by The Hampshire Group, which is the redeveloper for the Porete Avenue Industrial site. 
According to TapInto, the funding for the decorative fountain in Daniel Morris Park was donated by The Hampshire Group, the redeveloper for the Porete Avenue Industrial site.http://tapinto.net
2023 Annual Audit Report (North Arlington Borough)
The Borough published its 2023 audit. northarlington.org+1 In that audit, there is a line item for a “River Road Redevelopment Project Parcel.” northarlington.org
However, the audit does not clearly break out the donor value or the full cost of the Porete Ave redevelopment linked to Hampshire. There’s no obvious “gift from Hampshire” line in the fixed-asset schedule that is broken out in public audit detail.
Redevelopment Focus (2023 Borough Document)
In a Borough document titled “North Arlington Focuses on Redevelopment in 2023”, they explicitly mention the ongoing Porete Avenue redevelopment. They confirm that land in that area is “abandoned or contaminated” and note that the Borough received a grant to help clean up some of the properties.
That suggests that redevelopment is indeed active, and that remediation is part of the financial picture, but the document does not detail exactly how much Hampshire is paying for clean-up vs. how much is coming from grants or public funds.
Annual Financial Statement (2024, Unaudited)
The Borough published its unaudited 2024 financial statement. northarlington.org
That report, however, doesn’t provide a detailed redevelopment “closure” or final accounting of the Porete project (or gift components) either — it’s more of a broad financial summary for the municipality.
Construction Financing for 12 Porete Ave
Hampshire, along with Invesco Real Estate, secured a 3-year construction loan from BMO Financial Group to build a 111,660 sq ft industrial facility at 12 Porete Ave. JLL+2Real Estate NJ+2
This confirms that the redevelopment is proceeding and that Hampshire is taking on real financial risk (i.e., debt) for the construction — not just donating infrastructure. Real Estate NJ+1
Interpretation & Assessment
The Borough’s audit and financial statements show redevelopment costs are being tracked, but the public accounting doesn’t entirely separate developer contributions vs “public benefit” gifts in fine detail.
There is ongoing remediation / clean-up risk, which the Borough acknowledges, and redevelopment is continuing — but how the “cleanup cost burden” is shared isn’t fully transparent in the public audit.
Conclusion
There is some recent public record (2023 audit, 2024 statements) that sheds light on the redevelopment, but no publicly disclosed detailed breakdown that clearly isolates exactly how much Hampshire has “given” vs how much the Borough (or other entities) have paid for remediation, construction, or infrastructure.
The construction financing for the 12 Porete facility shows Hampshire is not simply philanthropic here — they have real business investment and risk.
For more information on redevelopment, contact Borough Hall at (201) 991-6060.