| Today, Camden is a city with enormous challenges. The impact of the Bush Recession is magnified in the city with a large amount of poverty and a small number of ratable properties. Even with the infusion of outside dollars to develop hospitals, universities, and waterfront attractions, tax revenues are insufficient to provide the services required. Mayor Redd's proposal to increase property taxes by 23% was summarily defeated by the City Council. Community organizations are mobilizing to clean up the city and provide its citizens with opportunities, but that's a long and arduous process.
 Camden was once the home of RCA Records whose logo was the iconic Nipper. Over the years, that enterprise has morphed technologically and business-wise into a division of the defense company L3 Communications, which occupies a new state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the former RCA home (now housing condos and business offices.) The only other major corporation within the city limits is the world headquarters of the Campbell's Soup Company. Campbell's has been a resident of Camden for 140 years and recently invested $93 million in the expansion of its campus there. (Campbell's presence in New Jersey also includes a manufacturing facility in Plainfield and a back-office operation in Cherry Hill.)
The global foods company has been a solid corporate citizen. According to Anthony Sanzio, director of corporate communications, Campbell's is the city's largest taxpayer and contributes $1 million annually to local non-profits. It has been involved in neighborhood redevelopment, feeding the hungry, childhood obesity prevention, and youth programming. Its 1,200 local employees provide thousands of hours of volunteer work every year.
For the past several years, Campbell's has had its eye on the Sears building which is adjacent to its world headquarters. Company management would like to see an outside developer demolish the building and construct two office towers. While Campbell's would not be a direct part of the rehabilitation of the site, the food giant is looking to improve the overall area and the image of Camden. Removal of this vacant and dilapidated building is part of that plan.
Increasing the business presence on that site would have multiplying effects. Not only would it supplement the weak tax base, but would provide more business travellers for the hotels in adjacent Cherry Hill and for the wonderful restaurants and shops in Collingswood. The site's proximity to Center City Philadelphia would be a plus for potential tenants.
As part of the redevelopment plan, the City of Camden, with the support of Campbell's, recently prevailed in a court decision which gave the city the authority to seize the building from the current owners (who would receive $3 million from Campbell's), and would allow demolition and reconstruction of the office park.
Campbell's Sanzio emphasized that his company is in the food business, not real estate development. So the rehabilitation of the site would be done by an outside developer. But Campbell's wants to be proactive in improving the appearance of its environs as well as helping the city of Camden.
The current property owners have 45 days to appeal the judge's decision. Further delays in the development of this site could jeopardize the entire project. The original concept was developed prior to the Bush Recession when companies were expanding freely - a far cry from today's contracted business environment. And while Campbell's has been a good corporate citizen in Camden, Sanzio said that the company is always looking forward rather than backwards and keeping its options open. He indicated that Campbell's would be happy if the current owner would develop the property, but nothing has been done to advance that goal for many years.
This is a chance for Governor Christie to show his chops. Rather than gallivanting to Illinois on a political stunt under the pretext of attracting business to the Garden State, the governor should get personally involved with Campbell's and the current property owner not only to come up with an equitable solution, but also to guarantee the retention of Campbell's as an anchor in Camden's jobs base. Christie should sit down with both sides this week, rather than wait for another protracted court decision. Using his legal background, his powers of persuasion, and his bully pulpit, the governor ought to be able to negotiate a win-win approach that is fair to the owners and enables Campbell's and Camden to rehabilitate the site and generate scores of much-needed jobs. I'm afraid this governor is risk-averse, only willing to implement simplistic solutions which usually have a "no" answer. But sometimes a chief executive needs to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty to prove his worth. This dispute that stands in the way of helping Camden is a golden opportunity for the governor to do that and to really help his constituents.
Courtesy Campbell's Soup Company |
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