The proposed Beacon Building in downtown Camden would rise on a parcel between Federal Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, creating more than 500,000 square feet of office space next to the Walter Rand Transportation Center. — Rendering courtesy: Camden County
By Joshua Burd
Public officials in Camden have unveiled plans for a new tower that would bring more than 500,000 square feet of office space to the downtown, part of a high-profile effort to revitalize the city’s Walter Rand Transportation Center.
In an announcement Tuesday, a group of city, county and state agencies said the so-called Beacon Building would rise on land between Federal Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, with the goal of accommodating the growing business district. That would help fill the high-rise with a combination of public and private entities, the officials said, citing prospective tenants such as Cooper University Health Care and potentially the state of New Jersey’s Administrative Office of the Courts.
The presentation did not specify whether the building would require an anchor tenant or be built on a speculative basis. Gilbane is its master developer, working on behalf of site owner NJ Transit.
“Camden has made outstanding progress over the last 10 years in all facets of life throughout the city, and the construction of the Beacon Building would be a generational investment for the future of the city and its residents,” said Louis Cappelli Jr., director of the Camden County Commissioners. “This new vision of our public space within a busy corridor of the city would represent an unprecedented expansion of economic development in the area and would be an asset for the city for the next 100 years.”
The announcement comes three years after Gov. Phil Murphy pledged more than $250 million to fully renovate and expand the Walter Rand Transportation Center. Since that time, the Camden County Improvement Authority has worked with Gilbane to create what it described as a state-of-the-art transportation hub that would:
- Better accommodate the 24 bus lines that serve the facility
- Provide improved connectivity with the PATCO Speedline subway and the River Line light rail
- Support intercity independent bus services
- Provide additional parking, administrative offices and retail opportunities to the adjacent areas
The Beacon Building would complement the rebuilt Walter Rand, officials said, detailing a current design that includes five 27,000-square-foot floors and another 20 floors of 18,000 square feet each. And it would come as the city’s eds and meds corridor continues to grow thanks to Cooper University Health Care, which has embarked on a $3 billion expansion, and its academic, life sciences and research anchors.
Officials also noted that office space around or near amenities like public transportation, restaurants, cafes and fitness centers have been hot commodities nationwide.
“The Beacon Building will be signal to the region that Camden is not only a city of promise on the rise, but it is also the place to be do business and the center of the eds and meds universe for the state of New Jersey,” Camden County Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said. “This building will be the perfect complement for other anchor institutions in the area and will be a catalyst for continued economic development in the city and county.”
The facility will also include a parking structure on Lot N and a public square that will be the landmark of the city’s downtown, the announcement said. Among other details about prospective tenants, the officials said “a petition will be made” to the state of New Jersey’s Administrative Office of the Courts to relocate the civil courts of the vicinage.
“It’s remarkable to see the transformation of Camden’s infrastructure over the past few years, and the 25-story Beacon Building is an important part of that transformation,” Congressman Donald Norcross said. “As part of the new Walter Rand Transportation Center, the Beacon Building will help generate new job opportunities for the people of Camden. It’s exciting to see how this next phase of modernizing economic growth and development helps rebuild the beautiful county and city of Camden.”
Richard Schaefer, NJ Transit’s senior vice president of capital programs, added: “The NJ Transit Walter Rand Transportation Center (WRTC) Improvement Project is an exciting redevelopment project that will transform the current facility into a modern, vibrant and customer-focused transit hub for the entire South Jersey region.”
Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, meantime, called the plan “an exciting and transcending development project which has the potential to change the landscape in Camden like no other.”
“I am grateful to Governor Murphy for his commitment to rebuild the Walter Rand Transportation Center and create a 21st-century transit hub,” he said. “This public-private investment, in combination with Cooper University Health Care’s $3 billion expansion, will not only transform the gateway into New Jersey but will spark even more new development in the city’s downtown.”
To be sure, Cooper University Health Care Co-CEO Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli said the tower could be a fit for the growing system.
“The Beacon Building’s proximity to the Rand Transportation Center and Cooper makes it attractive as we look for additional office space to house Cooper’s growing team of support services,” Mazzarelli said. “The additional parking that will be part of this important project is also attractive to Cooper.”
In September, state Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald presented an additional $1 million to the Camden County Improvement Authority to go toward the project.
“The stunning new renderings of the Beacon Building fill me with excitement for Camden’s future,” Greenwald said. “This architectural marvel will be a prominent fixture of the city’s skyline, showcasing Camden as a vibrant destination to live, work, play and thrive. The state’s historic $250 million investment in this project, a result of continued efforts to secure resources for our region, is a powerful testament to our undeniable economic potential as a hub for innovation and commerce.”