| Wedged between Camden and Haddonfield,
Collingswood is located just a few miles from downtown
Philadelphia, and offers commuters a station on the
Port
Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) Speedline
for quick access into Center City. Like many inner ring
suburbs, Collingswood's residential and commercial populations
decreased during the mid-1970s and 1980s, as the strip
centers, planned developments, and shopping malls of
outer suburbia flourished. Collingswood's decline continued
until the mid-1990s, when public officials and community
leaders committed themselves to the revitalization of
the borough. While it has retained its "Smalltown,
USA" style, Collingswood has been transformed by
several major projects into an attractive and vibrant
destination for residents and visitors alike.
Officials say the turning point in
Collingswood's recent history came in 1996 when the
borough took an unconventional, bold step by deciding
to purchase the Sutton Towers high-rise apartment complex.
Over half the units in the complex were vacant and the
owner had gone bankrupt. The borough and its partner,
Capital Properties, committed $16 million in renovations
to the 1,025-unit complex, and renamed it the Parkview.
The refurbished luxury complex is now at 95 percent
capacity, with 220 units set aside for senior housing.
Last year, the partnership sold the complex, netting
the borough $3 million in profit. The success of the
Sutton Towers redevelopment prompted Collingswood to
acquire and develop several other properties in the
main street area, near the PATCO transit station.
| One
of these projects was the redevelopment of the
Zane School, another bold act by Collingswood.
By the mid-1990s, the building — within
a quarter-mile of the transit station —
had fallen into disrepair and was condemned by
the borough. The town seized the property in 1997,
and converted it into a stunning office building,
which is now fully rented. The borough also transformed
Eldridge Gardens from a crime-ridden complex into
Pewter Village, a revitalized rental community
for adults age 55 and over. In addition, Collingswood
has spent millions on municipal facilities, including
the construction of a new community center and
numerous general infrastructure improvements.
At the same time, the borough instituted several
business improvement district (BIDs) in the main
street area. The BIDs, which levy an assessment
on business owners, have improved Collingswood's
commercial district both aesthetically and financially,
attracting many out-of-town visitors on weekends
and weekday evenings.
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New Community Center
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According to the borough's Director
of Community Development, John Kane, over 60 new businesses
have moved into Collingswood since 1998. In addition,
volunteer residents hold a weekly Farmers Market in
the PATCO parking lot and have formed several committees
to help beautify the borough.
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In 2002, the borough turned its
attention to the area immediately surrounding
the train station. A. Nelessen Associates (see
article in Volume 1, Issue 2) was hired to
conduct a visioning exercise for residents. After
several meetings, residents agreed that they wanted
concentrated, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development
in the Main Street area. The town also conducted
several traffic and parking studies, determining
that both were a major problem. The borough acquired
several grants from public sources, including
a Smart Growth grant, funds for historic preservation
of downtown buildings, and an award from PATCO
to study parking around the station. In 2003,
Collingswood was named a New Jersey Transit Village,
making it eligible for future grants and providing
it access to the resources of the state agency
Task Force.
Most recently, the borough has
become the developer of another project, the LumberYard.
Located on the four-acre site of the former Peter
Lumber Company, the mixed-use development will
consist of 119 residential and 20 retail condominium
units, featuring brick and stone facades in a
brownstone-like setting with landscaped courtyards
and roof terraces. The condos will range from
1- to 3-bedrooms, and from 1,020 to 2,060 square
feet in size; units will sell from $225,000 to
$470,000. According to the builder, Costanza Builders
of Cherry Hill, over 90 percent of the residential
units and all of the retail units in the first
building have been reserved. The project broke
ground in early 2006, and the first homeowners
are expected to move in during the fall of 2007.
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LumberYard Sales Office
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