Mount Laurel public schools will start the next academic year with a new leader at the helm.
Neil Burti will take over as superintendent of schools starting Aug. 1, succeeding George Rafferty, who is retiring after leading the district for a decade.
After an extensive search, “Dr. Burti distinguished himself as the candidate whose experience, leadership style, and vision best aligned with the needs of the Mount Laurel School District,” Danielle Stuffo, president of the Mount Laurel Board of Education, said in an email.
Burti has more than 25 years of experience as an educator and administrator and is a longtime employee of the Cherry Hill Public Schools. While there, he served at all levels of leadership and was most recently the director of secondary education for the district.
Earlier this year, Burti also stepped in to handle the principal responsibilities during the second half of the school year at Cherry Hill High School East following a period of administrative upheaval in the school district.
The shake-up came after a lawsuit filed last September alleged that East’s former principal, alongside the Cherry Hill Board of Education and two other top administrators, subjected a former assistant principal to discrimination and retaliation.
“We are confident [Burti] will build upon the district’s many strengths, work collaboratively with our staff and community, and continue our focus on providing an exceptional educational experience for every student,” Stuffo said.
Stuffo said the district’s goals will largely remain the same under new leadership.
Like other districts, Stuffo said, Mount Laurel will work to continuously improve student experience and outcomes while adapting to evolving educational needs — and doing so within an increasingly limited budget.
“Fortunately, Mount Laurel is well positioned, with excellent staff and strong systems already in place. As Dr. Burti becomes familiar with the district, he will have the opportunity to evaluate our organizational structure and administrative leadership and, if appropriate, make recommendations to the Board for consideration,” she said in the email.
Burti was named the 2024 New Jersey Secondary School Principal of the Year during his time leading Cherry Hill’s John A. Carusi Middle School.
Burti holds a bachelor’s degree in movement studies and exercise science from East Stroudsburg University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Temple University, and a doctorate in innovation and leadership from Wilmington University.
Tackling what local officials called “one of the most significant matters” facing the Medford community, township council approved four redevelopment projects Tuesday night that will bring hundreds of affordable units to the township.
All of the projects are part of Medford’s effort to meet their state-mandated affordable housing requirements. The housing obligations stem from a 1975 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling requiring that all municipalities develop a certain amount of affordable housing.
Every 10 years, each municipality in the state is given a specific quota of affordable units to plan for over the next decade based on considerations that include population, income, and land capacity.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development generally follows the 30% rule to determine affordability — any dwelling that costs 30% or less of a household’s gross income is deemed affordable.
In New Jersey, affordable housing is restricted to households with earnings that must be at or below 80% of the area median income for the area. In Medford, the median household income is $157,969, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That would mean any household earning less than roughly $126,375 per year would be eligible for the new affordable units.
The state most recently determined Medford must build a total of 240 affordable units by 2035.
The four development proposals that were approved would collectively add 226 affordable housing units as part of approximately 1,067 total new residential units within the township. All of the projects also plan for some type of on-site recreational amenity like playgrounds, pavilions, or picnic areas.
As part of the agreements, builder D.R. Horton will pay the township a $3 million redeveloper’s fee and a $1.7 million recreational and community benefit contribution that will be split between local nonprofits and the Medford Youth Athletic Association.
While the township has enough water infrastructure capacity for the new developments, D.R. Horton has also agreed to construct a water tower through the use of a $5 million special assessment bond with no cost to the township if it’s determined that water pressure is insufficient, Township Solicitor Patrick Varga said.
Large housing developments are often contentious in South Jersey, especially in places like Medford where residents value open space and are concerned more families will overburden an already cash-strapped school district.
In response to resident concerns about overbuilding, Medford Mayor Mike Czyzyk said Tuesday that the only residential communities that the township has approved in recent memory were related to the township’s affordable housing requirements.
“Medford has had a history of not building residential unless it’s required by the state,” Czyzyk told attendees during the meeting. “So as it stands today, there are no large or small-scale residential tracts being developed. There may be parcels being developed for residential use, like on Mill Street and in different areas, but there’s no communities coming to Medford outside of the ones required to be built to satisfy our affordable housing need.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, one resident questioned the township’s need to move forward with all of the projects at once, especially given that it is still so early in the 10-year window. But officials said that the timeline was out of their hands and they had a state deadline to meet.
“Every town in the state of New Jersey was required to adopt and finalize how it was going to comply with its Housing Element and Fair Share Plan for the Fourth Round by March 15,” Varga said. “The Township of Medford was one of a handful of towns that received an extension.”
Now that council has approved the redevelopment agreements, the township will be taking the plans before a judge who will determine if Medford is in compliance with their housing requirements.
Here’s what’s included in each of the redevelopment plans:
The Reserve at Ironbridge
Located on a 64-acre parcel at the intersection of Church and Eayrestown Roads, the Reserve at Ironbridge will include up to 287 total units, 48 of which will be designated as affordable.
Landing at Kirby’s Mill
Not far away, a 61-acre lot at Church and Fostertown Roads will become the 198-unit Landing at Kirby’s Mill. Forty of these units will be affordable.
Trollinger-Stonebridge
The largest of the four projects, the Trollinger-Stonebridge project will total more than 164 acres northeast of Church Road and County Route 541. The project includes up to 48 affordable units out of a total of 300 new residences. This project also includes plans for a bike trail to be constructed and paid for by the builder, pending state approval.
Flying W
Planned for a 114-acre lot on Fostertown Road, Flying W includes the greatest affordable housing contribution among the four projects. With 90 affordable units, 31% of the 282 total units will be set aside for low-income residents. All market-rate units in the development will be age-restricted.
A Philadelphia man has been charged after authorities said he conducted a fraudulent cryptocurrency purchase for a valuable Pokémon card in Marlton.
After arranging the sale through Facebook Marketplace, Christian Elam, 26, allegedly met the seller at the Evesham Township Police Department Safe Exchange Zone, located in the lobby of police headquarters, Evesham police said in a statement posted to social media Monday.
Elam allegedly paid the seller for a Pokémon card worth $24,200 using cryptocurrency, which was later determined to be fraudulent, the department said.
Elam was charged with third-degree theft by deception and second-degree computer-related theft. He was being held at the Burlington County Jail awaiting a pre-indictment hearing scheduled for Aug. 26, according to the court docket.
The police department is encouraging residents to continue taking advantage of the 24-hour safe transaction zone but to remain diligent about potential scams.
“While the zone provides a well-lit, video-monitored location for in-person exchanges, residents are reminded to independently verify payment before transferring property, especially when cryptocurrency, electronic payments, or high-value items are involved,” the department said.
Cyber-enabled crimes are on the rise across the United States. The Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 1 million complaints in 2025, a 17% increase from the previous year, with total reported losses of nearly $21 billion, according to an April report from the FBI.
Cryptocurrency crimes are often the costliest, with more than 181,565 complaints totaling more than $11 billion in losses in 2025 alone.
On Sunday morning, the doors of Fellowship Alliance Chapel were open for prayer on schedule despite a fire in the Medford church’s worship center less than 48 hours earlier.
“Just the heartfelt praise, the worship, the prayer time that we had together — it was just wonderful praising God for all his goodness. So many things could have really been much worse than they were,” Fellowship Alliance vice chairman Dave Gutekunst said.
No one was in the building when church officials say lighting struck the building’s roof around 9 p.m. Friday and no one was injured.
The fire was contained between the roof and the ceiling of the worship center, limiting the scope of damage inside the church to smoke and water, Gutekunst said.
“We just felt really blessed and I think people have had a renewed sense of hope that this is just one in a long list of many chapters of the history of our church,” he said. “God sustained us through trials and tribulations before and he’ll continue to sustain us and carry us through this one.”
The roof of Fellowship Alliance Chapel was damaged by a fire on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Gutekunst also expressed his gratitude for the dozens of firefighters who responded to the scene during the peak of the weekend heat wave.
It’s still too early for a clear timeline for repairs, he said, but the church is forming a team of experts to spearhead recovery. In the meantime, services will continue to be held in the temporary worship space that was set up in another building on the church’s campus after the fire.
While church leaders believe the fire was sparked by a lightning strike, the Medford fire marshal has not determined an official cause of the fire and it is still under investigation, according to Medford manager Robert Dovi.
Per protocol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has also been notified because the fire occurred at a house of worship, Dovi said.
But lightning-caused fires aren’t uncommon in this area, Dovi said.
“This is a common occurrence for our area due to the large trees and open space,” Dovi said. “This weekend due to the severe nature of the storms there were a number of fires potentially related to lightning strikes.”
Countless parades, fireworks, drone shows, and more are scheduled for this weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July and the nation’s 250th birthday across South Jersey, but extreme heat is beginning to complicate plans.
With temperatures forecast to exceed 100 degrees through Independence Day, some South Jersey towns are taking steps to keep residents out of the heat — even if it means canceling their annual holiday events.
Others that haven’t taken any major steps yet are advising residents to stay hydrated and out of the direct sunlight as much as possible over the weekend.
Here are some South Jersey towns that have announced changes to their Fourth of July celebrations:
Bordentown Township
Bordentown Township postponed fireworks planned for Friday with plans to reschedule the show for Aug. 4.
“This wasn’t an easy call to make, but the heat forecast is dangerous, and that’s not something we’re willing to gamble with, not with your families, our volunteers, and our first responders out there for hours,” the township posted on social media Thursday.
Delanco Township
Delanco’s summer concert featuring the Nathan Renson Quartet scheduled for Thursday evening was canceled due to the heat. It will be rescheduled for a later date, the township said on social media.
Haddon Township
Due to the heat and humidity forecast for Saturday, Haddon Township has canceled its July Fourth parade.
“This was a difficult choice, but ensuring the health and safety of our participants and spectators alike is our highest priority,” the township wrote on social media.
The township’s “Happy Birthday America Celebration” fireworks will still take place on Friday night at the Haddon Township High School stadium.
Amid the heat wave, the township’s Crystal Lake Pool will be open and free to all township residents, their extended family, friends, and guests.
Haddonfield Borough
Haddonfield’s Independence Day Parade is taking place as scheduled on Friday morning, but due to the extreme heat forecast for later in the day, the block party and drone show scheduled to start at 5 p.m. have been postponed. A new date for the rescheduled events will be announced soon, according to the borough.
Magnolia Borough
Magnolia’s Fourth of July Fair is starting a bit earlier now because of the heat, the borough announced on social media. The fair, which includes food trucks, a beer garden, live music and more, will now take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday immediately after the parade.
Oaklyn Borough
Oaklyn is hoping to get ahead of the heat by moving up the start time for the borough’s annual July Fourth parade. The parade will now start at 9 a.m., two hours earlier than originally planned.
Paulsboro
In light of the heat, Paulsboro has also decided to cancel the borough’s annual Fourth of July parade.
“We understand how much this annual tradition means to our community. For generations, the Fourth of July Parade has been a source of hometown pride and a celebration that brings families, friends, and neighbors together. We share the disappointment of having to cancel this cherished event, but the safety and well-being of our community must always come first,” the borough wrote on social media.
Despite the parade cancellation, the borough’s 250th Anniversary Celebration at Fort Billingsport Park will continue as scheduled on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stratford Borough
While Stratford will still be holding its annual Fourth of July parade, the borough has decided to cancel its plans for games, inflatables, and other activities scheduled for Mancini Field throughout the day.
Washington Township
Washington Township has canceled its annual parade on July 4 after recommendations from public safety and local meteorologists. The township’s fireworks will still proceed as planned at 9 p.m., launched from the Washington Township High School Complex.
Medford Township is facing a lawsuit from former Township Manager Daniel Hornickel, who is seeking to nullify his firing and reinstate himself in the role.
Hornickel, an attorney representing himself in the case, filed a complaint in Burlington County Superior Court on April 30, two days after the five-member council passed a resolution approving his removal as manager, the Courier Post first reported.
In the lawsuit, Hornickel, who lives in Bordentown Township, alleges that council denied him his employee due-process rights and violated the Open Public Meetings Act during his firing.
The legal filing comes less than two months after Medford Township formally initiated the process to fire Hornickel on March 13 by sending hima legally mandated notice that his employment was in discussion.
According to the lawsuit, Hornickel then proposed a separation agreement on March 16 that stipulated that if the offer were rejected, council would hold a public discussion about their intention to seek Hornickel’s removal from the role,which pays between $100,000 and $190,000, according to the salary range approved by council.
The next morning, Township Solicitor Gregory McGuckin indicated that the settlement likely would not be accepted, to which Hornickel reiterated his ultimatum for public discussion during that night’s council meeting, the lawsuit alleges.
But that night, council immediately entered closed session after the start of the meeting and upon returning, adopted a resolution to suspend Hornickel and move forward with the firing process. Council did not discuss or deliberate the resolution in public during the March 17 meeting.
In the resolution, council offered 10 reasons for seeking Hornickel’s dismissal, including that “council has lost confidence” in him, particularly as it relates to both the 2025 and 2026 budgets, the latter of which they said was delivered “late and above the cap legally allowed.”
They also allege that Hornickel has not implemented council policies and directions, does not communicate with council members, and has failed to properly advise council on various matters during his 18-month tenure as manager.
On April 28, council held a special hearing where they approved the resolution authorizing Hornickel’s firing.
During the hearing, Hornickel responded to each of council’s points, noting that three current council members were not on council in 2025 and therefore did not participate in the budget process while the two others voted to approve it.
“Your statement that ‘the 2026 budget was late and above the cap legally allowed’ is an invalid statement,” he said. “For the record, you introduced a 2026 budget that is substantially similar to the budget I sent you on March 9.”
In response to many of the other charges outlined in the resolution, Hornickel argued that he couldn’t adequately defend himself because council would not publicly release details.
“Don’t respond to me just because I’m asking, tell the public,” Hornickel told council. “If I’ve done this, give the public some concrete examples.”
Hornickel also argued that council was misinterpreting their role as the legislative branch for Medford’s government. The manager runs daily operations as the executive officer, he said, not township council.
“Your job is to set policy,” Hornickel said. “I looked at every single agenda this year through March 17. So what purported policy or direction did you as a legislative body issue that I failed to implement?”
“There’s nothing,” he said.
Hornickel declined to provide any additional comment Wednesday while the township solicitor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Medford’s Fire and EMS Chief Robert Dovi, Jr. is serving as the interim manager with assistance from Southampton Township Administrator Brandon Umba through a shared services agreement.
Council originally appointed Hornickel manager by resolution on July 16, 2024, an appointment made effective the following September.
Prior to his time in Medford, Hornickel served as the business administrator of Pemberton Township for more than five years. Before that, Hornickel spent nine years as the human resources director for Burlington County.
A remote proceeding for the case is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 8 before Superior Court Judge Terrance Cook.
A 50-year-old Camden man is dead after being shot on the city’s east side Thursday night, law enforcement said.
Police responded to reports of a person shot on the 300 block of Morse Street around 10:20 p.m., according to a joint statement from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Camden County police.
Officers found Cornelius Smith, 50, lying in the street with a bullet wound. The Camden resident was transported to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 10:46 p.m., officials said.
No arrests have been made. The investigation into the killing is continuing, police said.
Smith’s killing was the third fatal shooting in Camden this month.
Around 12:20 a.m. on June 9, police responded to a report of a shooting in the 200 block of Morse Street and found Luis J. Bonet, 24, of Camden wounded by gunfire. He was pronounced dead at Cooper University Hospital a short while later.
The following day, Eric Irizarry, 45, was charged in connection with Bonet’s death with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
A week earlier, a fatal shooting in Camden, police said, was tied to a multi-vehicle crash in neighboring Pennsauken.
While responding to a shooting on the 3300 block of Westfield Avenue on June 2, police discovered multiple shell casings and an unoccupied vehicle that had been struck by gunfire, officials said.
A few minutes later, Pennsauken police responded to a crash involving five vehicles at Drexel Avenue and Route 130 in Pennsauken. One of the vehicles involved in the crash had been struck by gunfire and the driver, later identified as Izaiah Minzy, 36, of Westville, had been shot.
Minzy was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:11 p.m.
Six people in the other cars involved in the crash sustained minor injuries.
The prosecutor’s office has not announced any arrests in the case.
The violent June comes after Camden experienced a record year in 2025 with its lowest recorded homicide total in four decades and its first homicide-free summer, police said, in 50 years.
Camden recorded 12 homicides last year, down from 17 in 2024, and saw an overall 6% drop in violent crime compared with the previous year, including a 32% decrease in sexual assaults and a 12% decrease in robberies, according to police.
The decline came more than a decade after the city’s police department was disbanded in 2013. Since then, the department’s successor, the Camden County Police Department, has taken a new approach to community policing that includes pairing social workers with officers and supporting programs designed to help at-risk youth.
Homicides have dropped by 82% since 2012, the last full year of the former police structure. During that time, the city has also invested heavily in public spaces and infrastructure, including $100 million for parks and street repaving.
Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) visited the department’s headquarters alongside Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen and Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. to get a firsthand look at some of the advanced tools and training methods police have utilized in recent years.
Booker is promoting federal legislation designed to help other law enforcement agencies adopt similar technology, like automated license plate readers, live cameras, drones, and more, which Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez has said contributed to the reduction in crime across the city.
Officials asked that anyone with information about any of the recent shootings contact the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit or the Camden County Police Department. You can also submit anonymous tips online.
After more than a century as a dry town, Collingswood is considering lifting its ban on alcohol sales within the borough.
For months, the three-person Collingswood Board of Commissioners has been discussing whether to lift the long-standing restrictions on liquor sales both as a potential new revenue source for the borough and as a way to bolster the local restaurant industry.
Per the state’s population-based license cap 一 one liquor license for every 3,000 residents — Collingswood would be able to issue as many as four retail consumption licenses that permit restaurants or bars to serve alcohol, or one distribution license for a liquor store within borough limits.
If liquor sales are eventually permitted, the borough could receive anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 annually through licensing and renewal fees.
But discussions are still preliminary as the commissioners work to determine what is best for Collingswood’s existing restaurant and business owners, borough administrator Cassandra Duffey said.
“There’s a general sense that liquor can be a good thing, but there’s a concern that if it’s done in a way that’s unbalanced, it can also throw people off,” she said.
“Is there strength in the dry-town brand that has been around for years and years?” Duffey said.
Tracing back to its Quaker roots, Collingswood has prohibited alcohol sales by ordinance since the 19th century.
A change to the policy would require public approval through a referendum during the November general election, borough solicitor Caitlin Harney Norcia said.
To begin that process, the borough’s commissioners would need to adopt a resolution by Aug. 21 so that the Camden County Clerk’s Office has enough time to add the question to the ballot. In order to adopt the resolution, at least 15% of voters who participated in the last general election must sign a public petition in favor of putting the question on the ballot, Harney Norcia said.
After that, “repealing any kind of prior restrictions could all be done relatively easily,” Harney Norcia said, describing the logistics of updating local ordinances if a referendum passes.
If voters approve lifting the ban, Harney Norcia said, the borough could either award licenses in a competitive bidding process, which could generate one-time revenue for Collingswood’s budget, or enact an application and review process that includes annual fees and public presentations by prospective licensees.
But if the measure were to fail on Election Day, Collingswood would be barred from holding another referendum on alcohol sales for five years, according to state law.
Some business owners have expressed concern that the public bidding process could result in one of the borough’s few licenses being awarded to an outside business instead of an established Collingswood restaurant, Duffey said.
“The challenge is not to disrupt the balance of businesses that already exist here,” she said. “If you get a bidder that gets a license from outside of town, sure, you get the revenue, but then you’ve added somebody and it doesn’t necessarily benefit one of our businesses.
“The other option is to award [the licenses] directly, but then somebody must make a decision on who gets them, which is also a challenge,” she added.
The commissioners are in continued talks with the borough’s business improvement team, local restaurateurs, and others about the best approach, she said.
“Is there a way to distribute licenses or award licenses that is a boost for everybody?” Duffey said.
The internal debate in Collingswood comes less than two years after residents in neighboring Haddon Heights voted to get rid of its de facto ban on liquor sales. The town has set a $200,000 minimum bid for its first retail liquor license and is currently accepting applications ahead of a public auction sale in September.
Haddon Heights is hoping to leverage the new liquor licenses as a way to help boost a broader revival and redevelopment, Mayor Zachary Houck said.
The licenses “would hopefully draw in one or two additional restaurants or enhance existing restaurants and let us then continue to move that ball forward when it comes to enhancing our downtown historic district,” Houck said.
Making more, and more affordable, liquor licenses available statewide was a goal of legislation then-Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law in 2024. The measure was touted as an unprecedented reform of New Jersey’s liquor laws, long described by critics as arcane and antiquated.
“By easing restrictions and boosting the availability of licenses, we are creating new opportunities for small businesses, especially mom-and-pop establishments, to expand and facilitate development on main streets across New Jersey,” Stella Porter, a spokesperson for Murphy, told The Inquirer that year.
Large-scale data centers will not be moving into Medford any time soon thanks to a new ordinance adopted unanimously by the Medford Township Council this week.
While the township has not yet received any formal applications for data centers, officials are taking steps like the ordinance passed Tuesday that specifically prohibits the land use within town limits as a chance to be proactive.
“These are extra precautions to ensure that we don’t move forward in a direction that we can’t come back from until we know full well what the impacts of data centers will be,” Medford Mayor Michael Czyzyk said at Tuesday’s public hearing.
The ordinance received support from Medford-area residents at the hearing but some questioned whether the township might be making its bed too early considering how quickly technology evolves, especially if there’s a chance to reap the rewards of a data center project without negatively impacting the surrounding community.
“If there’s no impacts to the residents and there’s only a financial benefit, I believe I would consider looking at that at that time, but we’re not there yet,” Czyzyk said.
While the ordinance constraints may seem all-limiting as it exists today, Czyzyk said, council maintains the authority to at any point amend the ordinance to permit data centers in the township’s redevelopment district.
“I definitely understand that things will evolve and there may be a time in the future that the term data center is something that is more amenable to the residents and the body that governs them,” Czyzyk said.
“I will feel comfortable with the vote I cast on this ordinance tonight knowing full well that today I feel that way and that there’s mechanisms in the future if things do change, a process will be undertaken to remedy that,” he said.
There are dozens of data centers currently operating throughout the state with major hubs located primarily in North Jersey urban centers like Secaucus and Newark. But more recently, developers have been eyeing spots in rural South Jersey as the industry expands to meet growing demands for generative AI.
Developers and other data-center proponents say the facilities bring in tax revenue, create jobs, make use of old industrial sites, and put towns on the cutting edge of a hot industry, all without straining school districts or emergency services.
Opponents, meanwhile, cite concerns about pollution, noise, power and water use, and the impact on their electric bills. Some also say they worry the AI boom is a bubble that could soon burst.
As concerns continue to grow among towns across the Garden State, representatives from more than 60 environmental, labor, and community groups sent a letter to New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill last month calling for a statewide moratorium on the approval and construction of new facilities that use 20 megawatts or more of power.
So far in response to the public pressure, Sherrill has proposed a plan that would require new data centers to cover grid upgrades, utilize their own power generators, and publicly report resource usage.
While some municipalities like Medford have issued moratoriums on new data centers, no state governments have successfully done so, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Clubgoers might soon have the chance to take in nighttime views of the Philadelphia skyline at a new rooftop nightclub along the Camden waterfront.
The Cloud 9 SkyLounge is proposed for the rooftop deck of the fourth-floor Hinson Parking Garage next to the Delaware River Port Authority office tower on Delaware Avenue.
The club would include a stage and dance floor, private cabanas, a pool deck, bar areas, a food truck zone, VIP parking, and more, according to the developer’s application to the city, which is still awaiting final consideration from Camden’s planning board.
So far, city officials have approved the new use for the property, said Joe Console, attorney for the Cloud 9 developers.
Now, the applicant will work on developing more detailed engineering reports, showing that the project complies with local regulations as it relates to traffic, noise, building capacity, and more, Console said. Once complete, the project will eventually be brought back before the planning board for review and final approval.
“Our vision is to create a world-class entertainment and hospitality destination that showcases the beauty of the Camden waterfront, the Philadelphia skyline, and the energy of the entire region,” Cloud 9 founder and CEO Kenneth Walden said. “We want visitors to experience something they would normally expect to find in cities like Miami, Las Vegas, New York, or Los Angeles — right here in Camden.”
As an adaptive reuse project instead of new development, the club would require no changes to the parking garage’s existing footprint, and the rooftop venue would be limited to temporary installations, according to the application.
Parking for the rooftop venue would also be self-contained within the existing parking structure. The developers said they do not anticipate any parking issues extending into the surrounding area.
A rendering shows the entry view of the proposed Cloud 9 SkyLounge rooftop deck of the Hinson Parking Garage on Delaware Avenue in Camden.
The parking garage is currently owned by the city’s parking authority and the rooftop would be rented to Cloud 9 starting at $5,000 per month, per the application documents. The venue would be open Thursday 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.
“Cloud 9 was born from a simple belief: that Camden deserves extraordinary destinations just as much as any major city in the country,” Walden said. “For years, people have viewed Camden primarily through the lens of its challenges. I believe it is equally important to recognize its potential, its resilience, and the remarkable transformation taking place along the waterfront. Cloud 9 is intended to be part of that continued evolution.”
The property is located within the city’s mixed waterfront zoning district which is designed to help revitalize former industrial or vacant properties into pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use areas along the waterfront.
The venue’s developers included in their application that the project is “consistent with the overall vision of the [mixed waterfront zone] as it promotes: activation of underutilized urban space, enhancement of the waterfront entertainment environment, increased tourism and economic activity and adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure.”
The new nightlife destination would be within walking distance to some of the city’s other waterfront destinations such as Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Wiggins Waterfront Riverstage, and Adventure Aquarium.
A rendering shows the beach view of the proposed Cloud 9 SkyLounge rooftop deck of the Hinson Parking Garage on Delaware Avenue in Camden.
The office for Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen said that while they are aware of the proposed rooftop bar and lounge, they declined to comment specifically on the project or its details as it continues to make its way through the land development process.
“Camden is undergoing an unprecedented transformation as investment is taking place citywide. As a result, there is great interest from developers, and a wide variety of projects are being proposed in every part of the city,” said Vincent Basara, director of communications for the mayor’s office. “Camden is always open to new ideas and proposals. The success of this project will ultimately be based on the merit of the application. We are confident in the public process and the various reviews which are required.”
About a mile north on the other side of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority is accepting mixed-use redevelopment proposals for a 16-acre waterfront parcel that was previously home to the former Riverfront Prison and Weeks Marine site in North Camden.
“Beyond the venue itself, I believe Cloud 9 can contribute to the city in several meaningful ways,” Walden said. “The project has the potential to create jobs, attract visitors from throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and beyond, generate additional economic activity for nearby businesses, and further strengthen Camden’s reputation as a destination worth visiting and investing in.”
The Cloud 9 SkyLounge was presented to the city’s zoning hearing board for final site plan approval on June 1 and will need to continue through the development process before finally being voted on by the city’s planning board. The exact timeline for this process varies by project, but a final vote on Cloud 9 is likely still weeks or even months away, as the application must go before the city’s planning board, though they will not officially discuss the project until at least the board’s July meeting.
