Federal Street BDA

History of the Federal Street sites

The Federal Street sites were former industrial sites in Camden, NJ situated between the Cooper River and the railways active during the 1800s. The late 1800s and early 1900s brought great growth for this area, with these sites home to a coal/lumber yard, an incinerator, a petroleum distributor, and chemical and soap manufacturers. By the 1960s, Camden had experienced economic decline, and a significant number of manufacturing facilities had moved out of the city. The Federal Street corridor is now characterized by vacant former manufacturing facilities.


Brownfield Development Area information

In alignment with the vision of the City of Camden and the neighborhood plan, the CRA wishes to build upon the momentum from recreational and housing redevelopment in the neighboring Cramer Hill BDA to support the community’s vision for revitalization and the development of living wage employment opportunities in the Federal Street BDA – as well as the goals of removing contamination from this flood-prone area and addressing blight.
The nine targeted sites in the BDA have been vacant and unused for decades due to known or suspected contamination in the area. Their environmental assessment and remediation will prepare them for commercial and light manufacturing use, leading to jobs and greater economic prosperity for residents of the surrounding residential areas. Recently, a manufacturing facility and a warehouse were developed within the BDA and have provided new job opportunities to residents; however, the anticipated cleanup costs of the nine remaining sites by far exceed the market value of these properties and are a serious impediment to their redevelopment. The establishment of a BDA makes available additional state funding resources and support for remediation.
Some of these sites could be consolidated for development, and the CRA has undertaken an areawide, coordinated approach to addressing these brownfields. The CRA applied for and received BDA designation in 2025 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Additional funding through the BDA program will leverage prior and future federal, state, and county sources to ensure successful redevelopment of the nine sites. Additional incentives to developers are available through the BDA’s designations within an Urban Enterprise Zone, Opportunity Zone, Federal Empowerment Zone and Renewal Community, and New Jersey Redevelopment Eligible Zone and a Smart Growth Area. Developers may also be eligible for New Market Tax Credits and Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credits.
 

Steering Committee

The steering committee consists of representatives from nonprofits, the local and federal government, neighboring property owners, local employers, prospective developers for the site, and a neighboring community development corporation:
  • Camden Redevelopment Agency – Steering Committee Chair
  • City of Camden
  • Housing Authority of the City of Camden
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Salvation Army Kroc Center
  • Cathedral Kitchen
  • Camden Community Partnership
  • Saint Joseph’s Carpenter Society
  • ResinTech
  • Latin American Economic Development Association
  • ActionPak
 
Members of the public are welcome to attend and participate in steering committee meetings.
  • March 25, 2025 Meeting Agenda
  • March 25, 2025 Meeting Minutes
  • July 23, 2025 Meeting Agenda
  • July 23, 2025 Meeting Minutes
  • October 15, 2025 Meeting Agenda
 

Documentation

BDA Application
Memorandum of Understanding
 

For further information, contact:

Olivette Simpson, Executive Director of the CRA and Chair of the Steering Committee
Camden Redevelopment Authority
520 Market Street, Suite 1300
Camden, NJ 08101
Email: olsimpso@camdennj.gov
Phone: (856) 757-7000
 

Sites in the BDA

There are nine sites in the Federal Street BDA:
  • Concord Chemical
  • Former Incinerator Site
  • Port-A-Pot Site
  • Former Standard Oil Site
  • Borden Chemical (aka Consolidated Foam)
  • SE 19th and Carman Streets
  • Richard Schweiker Site (aka RMH Automotive)
  • ES North 19th and Berkley Streets
  • SS Berkley and 19th Streets