by BRS, Inc.

Built on the site of the former Harrison Avenue Landfill, the Cramer Hill Waterfront Park has everything!

• Amphitheater
  
• Fishing plaza
  
• Hiking/biking paths and trails
  
• Historic/educational signage
  
• Kayak launch
  
• Picnic area
  
• Playground
  
• Sensory garden
  
• Shoreline observation areas
  
• Summit vista with panoramic views of the Delaware River,
  
• Petty's Island, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and Philadelphia

In addition to the landfill closure and park construction, the project involved the restoration and creation of approximately seven acres of freshwater tidal wetlands; over 3,000 feet of bioengineered vegetative shoreline, including 450 feet of living shoreline in three areas along the back channel of the Delaware River; habitats for wildlife including endangered species; over 375,000 plantings; and a two-acre tidally fed fishing pond (which we heard has already yielded an impressive catch at the community opening event!). 

The opening of the park represents the completion of the cleanup and redevelopment of the former Harrison Avenue Landfill, a long-time municipal dump which closed in the early 1970s. It is the culmination of a decades-long effort to assess, remediate, plan, and construct a crown jewel of open space amenities and habitat restoration on what was once an open dumping area and longtime neighborhood eyesore. The Cramer Hill Waterfront Park joins the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, sited on the eastern end of the former landfill.  The Kroc Center, opened in 2014, provides over 8,000 residents with educational, recreational, social service, fitness, art, worship, and early childhood care center amenities.

The effort included resources and technical assistance provided by the Camden Redevelopment Agency, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, with the heavy lift for cleanup and redevelopment conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration. Camden County will oversee maintenance and operations of the park while the Camden Community Partnership will offer a range of community programming.

For a virtual field trip video of the site, check out these videos from NJDEP and Upstream Alliance.

Images courtesy of NJDEP.

Posted November 15, 2021