What the physical plan means for Rutgers-Camden

[retired711]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20150619_Rutgers-Camden_looks_to_expand_its_campus.html

Here's a story about the expansions planned for Camden. The campus would go from 6000 students to perhaps as many as 9000.

 

[Sir ScarletKnight]

Good! Hopefully that can increase Rutgers' profile down in South Jersey.

 

[derleider]

Agree. Plus take some pressure off of the main campus to continuously expand. Plus for NJans, anything that can help make its cities more attractive is a plus.

 

[rufancoe00]

I've always been for expanding Camden and Newark. Trying to shoehorn everyone into NB hasn't been great for RU as a whole

 

[retired711]

I think I speak for all on the Camden campus when I thank you folks for the kind words. The Camden campus is largely an undergraduate campus, and so it's not surprising that undergraduate enrollment is expected to increase.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Camdenlawprof,
I think I read/heard that Camden is knocking down over 600 buildings. Is the city looking a little better and are some of those buildings near the Rutgers campus,opening up a chance to build more dorms and classroom space ? Thanks for any info.

 

[retired711]

Camdenlawprof,
I think I read/heard that Camden is knocking down over 600 buildings. Is the city looking a little better and are some of those buildings near the Rutgers campus,opening up a chance to build more dorms and classroom space ? Thanks for any info.

Very little of the demolition has happened. The demolitions will be of particular townhouses, so they won't create usable space. I think that all the demolition will do will be to create more vacant lots, which doesn't make us look better. And, to answer your main question, these buildings are townhouses that are mostly well away from the campus. If anything, the buildings around the campus are being renovated. That's good because it makes the neighborhood more desirable and less ominous.

So far, I have not heard that land acquisition has been a major problem for the campus. Evidently landowners in Camden are willing to take the money and run.