Cappelli said a handful of major area companies, including the law firm Archer & Greiner, based in Haddonfield and Philadelphia, and the Cherry Hill-based supply chain company NFI Industries, are among several firms planning to move to the mixed-use development. He said the project may be complete within five years.
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Liberty Trust’s president said the developer would not apply for the incentives, but the businesses that move to the new buildings plan would take advantage of the program.
Gov. Christie will join Camden Mayor Dana Redd, representatives of Liberty, and assorted South Jersey dignitaries in making the announcement at Camden’s Adventure Aquarium, which is next to the planned site.
Liberty CEO William Hankowsky, who began his career over three decades ago in Camden as the city’s director of community development, reflected on the moment being somewhat of a homecoming for him.
That’s one of the reasons officials believe this proposal will be built in contrast to other plans for the same stretch of land along the Delaware River.
The area was the key to a wave of revitalization plans that started in the 1990s and includes destinations for visitors including an aquarium, minor-league baseball stadium and concert venue as well as one luxury apartment building. None of those ideas came to fruition.
Cappelli said construction would be swift so businesses can get the tax incentives. To qualify for the incentive program, the businesses have to meet several requirements, such as bringing a certain number of new jobs to Camden and remaining in the city.
In Philadelphia, Liberty has headed up projects such as the Navy Yard and the Comcast Center, which is now the city’s tallest building.
If the latest hopes for the waterfront are realized, it will be largely because of a 2013 state tax incentive law that has already sparked a building boom in Camden.
So far, almost all the companies that have agreed to move to Camden have come from nearby towns in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
“They have been an incredible blessing to the city and her people and we look forward to our continued collaboration moving forward”, she said.
In addition to the efforts to attract jobs to Camden, the state has taken over the school district and the county government has assumed responsibility for policing in the last few years.
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We are talking 16 acres of waterfront property…
