Camden, NJ- On April 28th LAEDA in collaboration with Parkside Business and Community in Partnership (PBCIP) hosted an event at the Camden Historical Society to showcase all the exciting things happening in the Camden neighborhood. This event was hosted as an initiative under the The Parkside collaborative. The Parkside collaborative is a group of partners – Camden County Historical Society, NJ Conservation Foundation, LAEDA, HopeWorks, and PBCIP – coming together to transform and revitalize the Parkside neighborhood of Camden, NJ.
The Invest in Parkside breakfast meeting was designed to bring together various stakeholders including established business owners, real estate brokers, chambers of commerce, etc. to discuss how a location on Haddon Avenue could viable option for investment. The meeting began with Camden City Councilman Chris Collins recognizing all of the wonderful things happening in Parkside under the leadership of PBCIP’s CEO Bridget Phifer. He offered his words of encouragement and pledge to support the mission of creating a vibrant neighborhood atmosphere.
After, Councilman Collins welcomed PBCIP’s CEO to the stage. Ms. Phifer began by offering her welcomes to the crowd while acknowledging the event exhibitors including Fulton Bank, Bank of America, PNC Bank, and The Camden Cares Business Center. She then highlighted all the plans for the neighborhood. “This was neighborhood plan that included not only us but also the residents in order to learn what they felt was missing from their communities. The goal was to provide very comprehensive plan that addressed homeownership, great schools, and parks for our families, and a vibrant commercial corridor for businesses so today’s meeting is just one part of the overall plan,” Phifer explained.
Then, Raymond Lamboy (President & CEO, LAEDA) and Jamila Powell (Program Manager, LAEDA Women’s Business Center) discussed the economic outlook of the Parkside neighborhood. Mr. Lamboy and Ms. Powell explained not only the neighborhood demographics but also potential businesses that would a great option to bring to Haddon Avenue. Ms. Powell explained how an established business whose target market was primarily African-American and Hispanic women could possibly do well with a second location on the Parkside corridor. “If you are a boutique owner who sells women’s clothing you might do well on Haddon Avenue since over 50% of the population are women,” Jamila emphasized.
Later, Asha Anderson (PBCIP Project Manager) and Keith Greaves discussed residential and commercial properties while Joe Thomas, Craig Sawyer (UDP), and Rashaan Hornsby (President, Haddon Avenue Business Association) gave an overview of resources available including the benefits of Urban Enterprise Zone programs and Haddon Avenue Business Association membership.
The meeting concluded with networking amongst the 45 attendees as well as a call to action the join the efforts in making the Parkside neighborhood the right place to live, eat, and shop in Camden.