Cooper builds on its commitment to Camden as it moves forward with $3B expansion

Cooper University Health Care announces joint venture to create jobs, economic opportunity

Cooper University Health Care in Camden announced the launch of its newest investment, Project Imagine — a $3 billion expansion and the largest investment in Camden County’s history, as well as one of the largest in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The project, a partnership with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and its construction manager, Torcon Inc./P. Agnes Inc., will dramatically expand the academic health system’s main campus to meet the current and future projected demand at Cooper University Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper.

The expansion, first announced in September 2022, is expected to break ground on its first tower later this month.

“For over 138 years, Cooper and Camden have been united: What’s good for the city is good for the hospital and vice versa, and that’s why we are committed to ensuring that, as Cooper grows, so does the opportunity for our community,” George E. Norcross III, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Cooper Health System, Cooper University Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, said. “We are excited and proud to partner with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, who are stepping up in a big way to set a new paradigm for how large-scale projects can and should be run.”

As part of the joint venture, the Carpenters will serve as the lead construction partner on Cooper’s expansion, working to help establish specific plans to ensure a hiring preference for Camden residents, overall workforce inclusion, hiring and recruitment for apprentice programs.

“Cooper has long been an anchor institution supporting and serving the city of Camden and the residents of the southern seven counties of New Jersey,” Kevin O’Dowd, co-CEO of Cooper University Health Care, said. “This first-of-its-kind agreement will provide broad based economic opportunities and marks a significant milestone in our longstanding commitment to serving our region.”

The union, working with the construction manager, will also help to ensure the broader community in the city of Camden and the southern New Jersey region benefit. Among the priorities for these community benefits will be support of youth and community programs including, but not limited to, the Camden Health & Athletic Association and the Camden Works Program, the area’s premier job training and placement program. Camden Works disseminates a weekly listing of all job openings for every public and private city employer.

“For the thousands of hardworking men and women who make up the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, this new joint venture is more than a job — it’s an opportunity for us to show what we can do to make the community, our community, better and stronger and create real opportunity,” William Sproule, the union’s executive secretary-treasurer, said. “We are looking forward to working with Cooper and thank them for the trust they are placing in our team — we won’t let Cooper or Camden down.”

The agreement continues Cooper’s commitment to Camden, its hometown since its founding in the city more than 135 years ago. In recent years, Cooper has made significant investments to expand the services it provides the South Jersey region, including creating a new accelerated BSN educational program with Bayada and Thomas Edison University, opening the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and partnering with MD Anderson Cancer Center to bring advanced cancer care to the region. Cooper currently employs more than 940 Camden residents and sponsors the Cooper Health Careers Initiative, an education and job training program leading to employment in medical coding, offered free of cost to Camden City residents. Cooper was recently named one of New Jersey’s “Best Employers” by Forbes for the fourth year in a row.

“This innovative agreement with the Carpenters union and our construction manager will result in tangible benefits and jobs for residents in the City of Camden,” Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, co-CEO of Cooper University Health Care, said. “As Cooper continues to grow, we will continue to ensure opportunities for Camden residents.”

The new Cooper-Carpenters joint venture also will include significant disclosure of the effort’s success, including regular reports on the number of participants in job training and apprenticeship programs and the number of Camden city residents and from historically underrepresented groups hired. The details of commitments to local civic and other organizations, including youth and community programs, in the city of Camden and southern New Jersey region also will be disclosed quarterly.