Uploaded February 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
When Christiana Foglio was a junior at Douglass College, she attended a colloquium about redevelopment featuring Mayor John Lynch and decided to focus on urban planning. While in graduate school at Rutgers, Foglio worked for Mayor Lynch in the city’s Department of Planning. After graduating in 1986, Foglio became an official planner for the city and then the president of Devco. Foglio analyzes the perspectives of Johnson & Johnson, Rutgers and the city government in redevelopment and discusses the construction of the Easton Avenue Apartments. In terms of the organization of power, Foglio points out that there was a biannual meeting between President Edward Bloustein, Richard Sellars of Johnson & Johnson and Mayor Lynch. One topic discussed in those meetings was the Route 18 extension. A downside of Johnson & Johnson’s position, Foglio asserts, was that certain neighborhoods did not get the attention some thought they deserved. Foglio compares redevelopment in the early years to current efforts. Other topics addressed in the interview include the controversial Hiram Market project, development downtown, community planning, tax abatement, transferability and the New Brunswick Parking Authority.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives is part of the Department of History at Rutgers University. Learn more at https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/new-brunswick-redevelopment-oral-histories
When Christiana Foglio was a junior at Douglass College, she attended a colloquium about redevelopment featuring Mayor John Lynch and decided to focus on urban planning. While in graduate school at Rutgers, Foglio worked for Mayor Lynch in the city’s Department of Planning. After graduating in 1986, Foglio became an official planner for the city and then the president of Devco. Foglio analyzes the perspectives of Johnson & Johnson, Rutgers and the city government in redevelopment and discusses the construction of the Easton Avenue Apartments. In terms of the organization of power, Foglio points out that there was a biannual meeting between President Edward Bloustein, Richard Sellars of Johnson & Johnson and Mayor Lynch. One topic discussed in those meetings was the Route 18 extension. A downside of Johnson & Johnson’s position, Foglio asserts, was that certain neighborhoods did not get the attention some thought they deserved. Foglio compares redevelopment in the early years to current efforts. Other topics addressed in the interview include the controversial Hiram Market project, development downtown, community planning, tax abatement, transferability and the New Brunswick Parking Authority.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives is part of the Department of History at Rutgers University. Learn more at https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/new-brunswick-redevelopment-oral-histories
