May 13, 2024
Provided Image/Rutgers University-Camden
A rendering shows Rutgers University-Camden's planned faculty building that will sit behind historic rowhomes on Cooper Street.
Rutgers University-Camden broke ground last week on a $60 million project that includes a new faculty building and the renovation of 14 historic rowhomes on Cooper and Lawrence streets.
The Cooper Street Gateway Project will run along the 400 blocks of Cooper and Lawrence streets, part of the six-block Cooper Street Historic District that runs from Second to Seventh streets. The block has a mix of historic rowhomes and empty lots. Rutgers owns many of the properties in the district and has used them for education and administration. The 14 rowhomes set for renovations currently are vacant.
The new, three-story building will house the faculty of Arts & Sciences, currently split between two buildings. The vacant rowhomes along Lawrence Street will become offices and guest rooms for visiting faculty. An outdoor common area is planned for the broader Camden community as part of the project, too.
The university said all construction will protect the integrity of the historic buildings in the district, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Many of the homes in the historic district were built in the 19th century and survived the commercial and industrial growth that followed the completion of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in 1926. Before the bridge was built, Cooper Street served as a vital connection between South Jersey and Philadelphia. It was named after the family that operated the ferry between the two cities and was once one of Camden's most sought-after places to live.
Rutgers-Camden Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis described the project as a "substantial investment" in the future of the university and in the city during the groundbreaking last Friday.
University officials did not provide a timeline for the construction of the new building and rehabilitation of the rowhomes, but shared several renderings of what's planned.
Another rendering shows plans for Rutgers University-Camden's $60 million project along Cooper Street.
Historic rowhomes along Cooper Street will be renovated as part of the $60 million project.
The Cooper Street Gateway Project will include an outdoor common area.
