By Joshua Burd
Local officials in Haddonfield have named Woodmont Properties as the conditional redeveloper of an 8.2-acre parcel at the edge of the borough’s popular downtown.
According to a news release, the Fairfield-based firm was among nine finalists after a request for qualifications and proposals to acquire and redevelop the property at the northeast corner of Kings Highway and Hopkins Lane. The borough’s board of commissioners approved the designation May 13, paving the way for a public presentation of the project that’s slated for June 17.
The vote represents a key step forward for the property, part of the former Bancroft campus serving children with developmental disabilities that was a fixture in the town before the nonprofit relocated in 2017. The site in recent years has been tied up in litigation that threatened to derail hopes of redevelopment, but the borough resolved the most recent lawsuit last year.
Additional details about Woodmont’s plan were not immediately available, but the firm’s recent work in municipalities such as Morristown, Saddle River, Cranford, Red Bank and Metuchen have focused on major residential and mixed-use redevelopment projects.
“Woodmont Properties is a well-established, regional developer with an impressive track record of successful redevelopment throughout New Jersey, and we’re thrilled to have their partnership on this project,” Haddonfield Mayor Colleen Bianco Bezich said. “The borough has been focused on finding the best path forward for the Bancroft site, and we are excited to work with Woodmont to make this a truly community-centered and welcoming gateway to our borough.”
Officials noted that the redevelopment site is near Haddonfield Memorial High School and Pennypacker Park. The borough’s decision comes a year after its request for qualifications and proposals, while the June presentation will provide a chance for the community to weigh in.
“Haddonfield is a premier community in New Jersey, and Woodmont is honored to have been entrusted with the redevelopment of this important site in the borough’s historic district, steps from downtown,” said Stephen Santola, Woodmont’s executive vice president and general counsel. “We look forward to partnering with the borough and leveraging our expertise in redevelopment to transform the Bancroft site and bring it to its full potential.”
