CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: A COOPER-GRANT/CENTRAL WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to the residents, workers, business and institutional representatives, and stakeholders of the Cooper-Grant neighborhood, Downtown and the Central Waterfront area. Your invaluable insight, time and continued commitment to improve the neighborhood for all has helped make this Plan Update possible. STAKEHOLDER MEETING PARTICIPANTS INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS Andrew Bush, Cooper Health Cynthia Primas, IDEA Center Shaneka Boucher Nick Cangelosi, The Michaels Group Katherine Puccio, EMR Nick Cangelosi Stephen Dottavi, EMR Dana Redd, CEO Rowan University/ Erin Crean Caren Fishman, Executive Director, Rutgers-Camden Board of Directors Raymond Lamboy Camden Special Services District Michael Venuto, DRPA Engineering Sgt. Dekel Levy Greg Gamble, Rutgers University Curt Voss, Live Nation Nichelle Pace Raymond Lamboy, LAEDA Steven Weinstein, Rowan University Dana Redd Barbara Lazzaro, NJ Transit Dr. Edward Williams, City of Camden Sonia Rivera Perez Government and Community Relations Department of Planning Scott Schreiber Sgt. Dekel Levy, Camden County Jennifer Young, Verizon Nyeema Watson Police Department Vince Nicoletti, Adventure Aquarium COOPER-GRANT COOPER’S FERRY PLANNING TEAM NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PARTNERSHIP _INTERFACE STUDIO Jonathan Latko, President Joseph Myers, Vice President & COO Scott Page Bryon Yoder, Treasurer Brian Bauerle, Vice President Stacey Chen Benjamin Saracco, Volunteer Maria G. Gonzalez Rausell Jessica Franzini, Executive Director of CHLI Ben Bryant Maggie Loesch CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: A COOPER-GRANT/CENTRAL WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN UPDATE TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 About the Plan Update Cooper-Grant/Central Waterfront Study Area PLANNING AND ENGAGEMENT PROCESS 3 WHAT HAS CHANGED: 2015 TO 2020 5 Demographic Data Update Changes in the Built Environment Progress Report UPDATED PRIORITIES 22 Resident Priority Action Strategies Neighborhood Improvements IMPLEMENTATION 25 Best Practices and Precedents Implementation Matrix APPENDIX 46 INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE PLAN UPDATE In July 2015, Cooper-Grant and Central stakeholders shared their vision for Cooper- The 2015 Connecting Communities Plan Waterfront residents and community Grant and the Central Waterfront Area, and continues to be the guiding document members developed Connecting identified which recommendations should in which this update is rooted. Hence, Communities: A Neighborhood Action Plan be prioritized for implementation. Since then, the purpose of the present update is for Cooper-Grant/Central Waterfront. the study area has seen important changes, not to revisit the full planning process, particularly in Downtown and along the but to create an action plan for The 2015 Plan, which was driven by Waterfront. Many of these have happened implementation by understanding how residents and supported by stakeholders, within the vision of the 2015 Neighborhood priorities have changed since 2015, and set recommendations to improve quality Plan. taking stock of these changes to advance of life conditions for residents, employees, 2015 recommendations to the next phase. and visitors, and to guide neighborhood Building on the 2015 planning process, revitalization in the next 5 to 10 years. These the 2020 Plan Update has identified the The updated priorities and the input recommendations were focused across continued need to create an ecosystem collected during this planning process four areas: economic development, healthy that is supportive of small businesses will serve as the basis for securing neighborhoods, resiliency and open space, and mixed-income housing for implementation funds through several and circulation. sustainable growth. These will serve as funding opportunities including, but not guiding areas to build equity, and advance limited to, the NJDCA’s Neighborhood Throughout a year-long planning and the recommendations included in the 2015 Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) program. public engagement process, neighbors and plan and the updated strategies herein. 1 CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: A COOPER-GRANT/CENTRAL WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN UPDATE THE STUDY AREA .The study area for the Cooper-Grant/Central Waterfront 2015 Plan is bounded by the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and I-676 to the north, Martin Luther King Boulevard and Atlantic Ave as south edges, 3rd Street on the east, and the Delaware River on the west. The study area corresponds to census tract 6103 and a portion of census tract 6104. Even though the Cooper-Grant/Central Waterfront area has seen unprecedented growth, the study area boundaries for the Plan Update remain the same as in 2015. From new open space and recreation opportunities, to residential, commercial and mixed use development along the waterfront that have brought new users and residents to the area, these projects will continue to change the neighborhood and the City of Camden’s landscape in the foreseeable future. INTRODUCTION 2 PLANNING AND ENGAGEMENT PROCESS Over a period of 8 weeks, neighborhood A phone number was made available developed office space on the Waterfront residents and stakeholders were invited to to those who wished to take the survey that are major employment hubs in the take part in the public engagement process over the phone in English or in Spanish. neighborhood. to identify significant improvements in the › Over 700 flyers distributed throughout neighborhood and inform changes in the Cooper-Grant with information to take Considering that this is a resident-informed priorities identified in 2015. the survey. plan, primary focus has been given to priorities identified by residents while › Print and digital advertising through Given that the purpose of this update is to indicating where these priorities matched Facebook, email lists and yard signs develop an action plan for implementation those selected by workers. located in high visibility locations. of the 2015 Connecting Communities Plan, the public engagement process was › 9 stakeholder and resident interviews. focused on verifying and updating goals › 2 online stakeholder meetings. and recommendations with the public, and interviewing key stakeholders that would A total of 392 participants completed the take part in the plan’s implementation. online survey; 284 (72%) worked in the study area, 65 (17%) lived or lived and worked in The outreach process included: the study area, and 43 (11%) did not live nor › 392 online and paper surveys work in the study area. completed. The higher number of workers in survey › 340 paper surveys distributed in responses is consistent with the presence of residential areas, including Royal Court major anchor institutions in the study area, and the Riverview and Mickle Towers. as well as Downtown Camden and recently 3 CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: A COOPER-GRANT/CENTRAL WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN UPDATE Given the restrictions to carry out in-person engagement due to COVID-19, the public outreach process and marketing of the survey were done through print media, digital and social media platforms: [left] Flyer distributed throughout the neighborhood. Neighborhood residents were encouraged to take the survey for the opportunity to win a gift card from Market St Pizzeria, a new restaurant on the ground floor of the recently renovated Victor Lofts. [upper right] Two stakeholder meetings were held via video conference calls. The purpose of these meetings was to identify progress made on the 2015 Plan strategies, review results from the public engagement process and discuss specific action steps and partners for implementation. PLANNING PROCESS 4 WHAT HAS CHANGED: 2015 TO 2020 › The Cooper-Grant and Central › Although overall poverty has Waterfront area has been experiencing decreased by 23% since 2015, 3 out a decline in population, from 2,263 of 10 people, and 3 out of 10 senior in 2015 to 2,151 in 2018, a decrease residents over 65, still live below the of 5%.. Similarly, the City of Camden poverty line. as a whole saw a 3% decrease in its › Education and employment indicators population in the same time period. have seen some improvement over › While median house values have the past 5 years: According to the decreased 5%, the monthly median 2018 American Census Survey, gross rent for the neighborhood has neighborhood residents have seen increased from $888 in 2015 to $1095 their average household income in 2018. This represents a 23% rent double, from $15,000 in 2015 to increase in the study area, compared $32,000 in 2018. to a 3% increase in the City of Camden. › Unemployment in the study area has › In terms of housing, roughly 2 out of 10 decreased by 3%, and more than 1,200 study area residents are homeowners, new jobs have been generated (a 36% while 8 out of 10 rent their homes. growth since 2015). However, 91% of This trend has not changed new jobs receive higher incomes (over significantly since 2015. $40,000 per year), compared to 4% One notable difference, however, is of jobs earning between $15,000 and that almost half (46%) of all family $40,000 per year, and 5% earning less households in the neighborhood own than $15,000 per year. their home, compared to only 10% of non-family households.. 5 CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: A COOPER-GRANT/CENTRAL WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN UPDATE › The population of college-age students (18-24 years old) declined by DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES 12%, and the number of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher decreased (Values show percent change between 2015 and 2018) by 13% compared