FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 21, 2015

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS SUPPORTS CAMDEN’S DEMOLITION INITIATIVE

Demolition Project Will Eliminate Abandoned and Unsafe Structures



TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner, Richard E. Constable, III, recently joined Mayor Dana L. Redd, Congressman Donald Norcross, New Jersey Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, Camden County Freeholder Jeff Nash, City Council President Frank Moran and City Council members Brian Coleman, Luis Lopes and Dan Burley and Camden County Police Chief John Scott Thomson to announce the kick off for the start of a large-scale demolition project in the Whitman Park and Cramer Hill neighborhoods in Camden. Phase I of the project includes the demolition of 62 abandoned properties.

Mayor Redd has committed to work on numerous concerns from Camden residents. Under the mayor’s leadership, one of the initiatives to address public safety and improve the quality of life is the Demolition Initiative. Approximately 1,629 abandoned residential properties city-wide were identified and considered to be unsafe. Of these 593 met the criteria for demolition. The remaining 1,031 properties are slated for stabilization.  

"The demolition of theses unsafe structures will not only eliminate hazardous conditions but also help to reduce criminal activity and blight from throughout Camden’s neighborhoods," said DCA Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III.  "Many of the units are on the verge of collapse and significantly impacting adjacent property owners. In some cases the units are even used as havens for criminal activity.  We support the City’s efforts and expect to see an immediate impact as a result of the demolition."

In an effort to support the City’s largest demolition project, the DCA assisted with the procurement of demolition vendors. In December, 2014, the City selected the lowest responsible and qualified bidder to begin Phase 1 of the project. Phase 2 is expected to begin soon.

For more information on Camden’s Demolition Initiative visit, http://www.ci.camden.nj.us/.

For more information on the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, visit http://www.nj.gov/dca/.