(Camden, NJ) – The Freeholder Board, Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) and the Camden Stormwater Management and Resource Training (SMART) initiative have completed the final phase of Phoenix Park in Camden. The six-acre recreational park in the Waterfront South neighborhood is bringing residents back to the banks of the Delaware River, which was largely cutoff to the community through prior industrialization, and easing flooding in the area by creating a saturation point for rain water.
“This is not only an important step toward improving the quality of life for the CCMUA’s neighbors in Camden City and the Waterfront South community, it will also capture stormwater runoff and prevent it from entering Camden’s combined sewer system,” said Freeholder Jeffrey Nash. “This park will be transformational for the neighborhood and will reconnect residents back to one of the region’s greatest assets, the Delaware River.”
The site has been transformed from a contaminated brownfield site to a shelterbelt of trees, meadows, walking paths and scenic views of the Delaware River. The park, funded in part with a Camden County Open Space Grant, improves the neighborhood’s stormwater management, air quality and gives residents new access to open space.
This project was recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Council of the United States as one of the ten most innovative uses of Federal water infrastructure funding in the country.