"Our company and our team are long-term players, and we believe the economy is turning around," Helmick said. "We'll wait it out and work through it."
Helmick says it could take 12 to 18 months to get county and state approvals, along with signed contracts with interested businesses. He declined to name them, saying the project was still in the early stages.
The Onix Group, which has built hotels, shopping centers, and nursing facilities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida, is making its first foray into New Jersey. Helmick said the company was impressed that the Deptford site is located just off busy Routes 42 and 55, and not far from the ambitious Rowan University expansion and Rowan Boulevard project.
"The university is really trying to expand, and the area around it will grow," Helmick said. "And the Deptford Mall has readjusted itself, after losing some anchors, by bringing in new ones."
Township Manager Denise Rose said several other developers had looked at the location and presented conceptual plans to town officials. But the Onix project has advanced to the Planning Board.
If the hotel is built, it could be the fourth in the township, which Rose says is only a 10-minute ride from the Walt Whitman Bridge. Currently, there are two hotels operated by the Marriott chain, and a Staybridge Suites is planned for another Clements Bridge Road parcel a few blocks away.
That project, proposed by Shivani Hospitality of Sewell, received final approvals in January, said Ashish Patel, a vice president. Patel is trying to find financing for the hotel, which would sit on three acres off Route 55.
"We are moving forward with it," Patel said, noting he had received all the approvals needed. "But right now banks aren't lending. It's difficult. "
Rose said that the two existing hotels were normally filled, often with travelers who have business in Philadelphia.
"Apparently, there's a demand," she said, noting that each hotel has about 100 rooms. "There are not many vacancies, and it's adjacent to a prospective ramp for an entrance onto Route 55."
Ahmad Tamous, a Land Dimensions engineer who is designing the Onix project, said it would include a roadway that would lead to the new ramp. The future road, he said, is an important aspect of the project and will require county approvals.
State Department of Environmental Protection approvals also are needed, he said, because of wetlands on the property.
Contact staff writer Jan Heflerat 856-779-3224 or jhefler@phillynews.com.
