When the current governor and four past governors of New Jersey show up for a groundbreaking event, you know it’s ginormous – like $3 billion big and dubbed “Project Imagine.”
Though Cooper University Health Care’s $3 billion expansion of its Health Sciences Campus in Camden is very much for real, the shovels in the ground among the state’s political and business elite – including Cooper’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Camden County’s most influential power broker, George Norcross III, signaled that construction for the first phase was well underway.
“Project Imagine” was first announced in late 2022, and when complete, it will represent the largest building investment in Camden County’s history.
The project add-ons include:
- Three new patient towers to accommodate up to 745 all-private inpatient beds.
- Enhanced surgical and emergency services, including expanded surgical and interventional capacity, a state-of-the-art emergency department, and a bridge connecting to MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper.
- A new regional medical coordination center (RMCC) and additional surge capacity to bolster New Jersey’s emergency health care infrastructure.
Norcross, who is currently facing alleged state racketeering charges about his involvement in some Camden waterfront deals, has asked a judge to dismiss his case. He called the Cooper expansion a “transformative investment,” both for the city and South Jersey.
“This project reinforces Cooper’s long-standing commitment to delivering extraordinary health care, driving economic growth, and creating new opportunities for the people of the City of Camden and the region,” Norcross said on a raised stage.
The Democratic powerhouse then thanked incumbent New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and former Governors Chris Christie, Jon Corzine, James McGreevey, and Tom Kean – all of whom were seated on stage on both sides of him – for ensuring the project moved forward.
For instance, the first phase of the hospital tower will use approximately $170 million in state grant money that the Murphy Administration doled out to the state’s three Level 1 trauma centers post-COVID.
“Today’s groundbreaking helps ensure Cooper can continue serving families in Camden and beyond with the same high-quality standard of care it is known for,” Gov. Murphy said. “…and these upgrades will ensure this hospital can continue meeting the region’s growing needs.”
TV Host and South Jersey native Kelly Ripa also traveled south from New York City to make a special appearance. Ripa, who grew up in nearby Berlin, is the daughter of former Camden County Clerk Joe Ripa.
The event also attracted dozens of local and state political dignitaries – a Who’s Who of South Jersey politics – who came to mark the occasion, like Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr.
“The breadth and depth of the expansion of the county’s largest employer is nothing short of amazing, the commitment and dedication of Cooper University Health Care and their Chairman, George Norcross, goes above and beyond anything that has occurred previously in Camden County and will make the city the number one, preeminent, state of the art medical hub throughout the state,” Camden County Commissioner Director, Louis Cappelli Jr., said in an email to The Sun Papers two days later.
“Tuesday was a day to celebrate the size and scope of this special project, but it was also a day to think about the positive long term impact of this expansion on the job market, creating new positions for medical professionals, support staff, tradesmen and students. A project this size is what makes our county a special place to live, work and raise a family,” added Cappelli.
Camden, the city, is on a building spree, and the structures going up cover the gamut.
Cooper’s groundbreaking to grow its already sprawling health sciences campus comes on the heels of last month’s announcement of the proposed $250 million Beacon Building for Downtown Camden.
When complete, the tower will span 500,000 square feet and rise 25 stories to become South Jersey’s tallest office building.
The day after Cooper’s milestone event, Camden City Mayor Victor Carstarphen hosted a press conference before touring a former vacant lot turned affordable housing unit in the Cramer Hill neighborhood.
Carstarphen used the occasion to highlight the city’s rising home values and stock and boasted that developers were now showing renewed interest in building affordable and market-rate housing for residents.
