United Fund Advisors

Salvation Army Kroc Community Ctr.

A new community center for one of the poorest cities in America.

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THE PROJECT:

The Salvation Army, Eastern Territory (TSA) has a redevelopment agreement with the City of Camden to construct the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center; a 120,000 square foot facility designed to address the economic, educational, health, recreational needs of the local community. The Kroc Community Center, located on a 24-acre remediated landfill in Camden, New Jersey, will include an early childhood education center, family and teen drop in centers, health clinic, food pantry, teaching kitchen, performing arts theater, full size gymnasium, fitness center, athletic fields, classrooms, indoor competition pool, indoor water park and chapel.

COMMUNITY IMPACTS:
  • The Kroc Community Center will create hundreds of local jobs and will invest millions of dollars into a community in desperate need of employment opportunities. Camden is one of the poorest cities in the U.S. with an unemployment rate of 18.6% and 51% of the 78,000 residents living at or below the poverty line. TSA will operate the Kroc Community Center and will recruit 160 full-time, part-time and adjunct staff. TSA will collaborate with local organizations including Rutgers University, Rowan University, Camden County College, Cooper University Hospital and the Workforce Investment Board to provide occupational training to assist individuals as they explore employment opportunities.
  • There will be programs and services for people of all ages at the Kroc Community Center. Many of the programs and services will be free to the general public and scholarships will be available for certain programs, such as the Early Childhood Education Center.
KEY COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS:
  • Poverty Rate: 51%
  • Median Family Income: 20.4% of benchmark
  • Unemployment Rate: 2.35 times the national average
  • Cramer Hill NOW! Neighborhood Plan
  • FEMA-4086 Disaster Area designated for both Public Assistance and Individual Assistance (Hurricane Sandy)
  • Federal Medically Underserved Area (Camden Service Area)
  • Brownfield Site
FINANCING:
  • Total Project Cost: $50.5 million
  • NCF Deployed Allocation: $10 million
  • Total NMTC Allocation: $18 million
PROJECT PARTNERS:
  • United Fund Advisors (National Community Fund I, LLC)
  • The Salvation Army, Eastern Territory (TSA)
  • JP Morgan Chase
  • Brownfield Revitalization, LLC