Welcome to (Company Name Here) North Jersey

By GIOVANNA FABIANO, STAFF WRITER

The news that drivers crossing the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee will soon get slapped with a huge advertisement for Geico car insurance has some wondering what other New Jersey spots might go the way of corporate sponsorship.

What's next? Will we one day fly out of Newark Liberty Mutual Airport?

Marc La Vorgna, a Port Authority spokesman, says, "No way."

"At no time are we considering renaming any landmark facility like the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln Tunnel or JFK or Newark Liberty Airport," La Vorgna said Friday, hours after Governor Corzine's office announced it would evaluate the plan to place a Geico insurance ad above the bridge's toll booths.

Geico will pay $3.2 million for the billboard and related advertising with the bi-state agency over the next two years, with $800,000 going to the advertising agency that came up with the idea.

Here are some facilities around the state that have already been named for corporations:

* Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford: When Bruce Springsteen opened the arena in 1981, it was called the Brendan Byrne Arena after the former governor. Byrne's name was dropped in 1996.

* PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel: It was the Garden State Arts Center until 1998, when Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank purchased the rights.

* Prudential Center, Newark: The new hockey arena for the Devils will be named for the insurance and investment company.

* Colgate Clock, Jersey City: The octagonal clock is promoted as the largest timepiece in the world. It sits in front of the site of the former headquarters of Colgate-Palmolive.

So far, no one's moved to rename some of these landmarks. But who knows?

* Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood

* Holland and Lincoln tunnels

* Beaches

* Highways and rest stops

* Waterways

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(c) 2007 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.