The Collingswood Lumberyard, a new urban project

[SouthJersey7]

Well in my little hometown of Collingswood, NJ there is an old lumberyard, right in the middle of town that has sat empty for the better part of a decade now. It's literally right around the corner from my old house. I used to walk by it every day on my way to school. Really, just a big empty field in the middle of a healthy urban environment. Well, here comes redevelopment! I no longer live in Collingswood though I have been following this project occasionally. But I checked back the website, and it's really come along! Here's the link: http://www.lumberyardcondos.com/index_content.html

I attatched an image from the website. It's just a typical artist rendering, very generic looking. To get a really good feel for what this is going to look like go to Virtual Tour on the website or click here to download the video. (Note: it's 17 MB!) That is a very cool, very professional looking video that was especially exciting for me seeing a new urban development right next to old buildings I was to familiar with!

One thing I particularly like about this, is it's total commitment to true urban design - NO surface parking lots, parking is onstreet or in the parking garage. The condos are similar to some that have been built in Philadelphia in the past decade. Speaking of Philly, did I mention it's only 10min. away by PATCO heavy rail, which is a 5 min. walk from the Lumberyard! In fact the elevated tracks of the line are immediately next to it. You can see a PATCO train go by in the video! I will be visiting Collingswood over the summer and will have some pics. It says Coming Summer 2006 which I assume to mean that it will be finished very soon.

[ctman987]

This sounds like a great project...one that is doing things the right way. Now where exactly is this in NJ. I have an aunt and uncle and cousins who live in Annandale/Clinton area off of I-78. Where is this site in relationship to them or to Morristown or Flemington

[SouthJersey7]

This sounds like a great project...one that is doing things the right way. Now where exactly is this in NJ. I have an aunt and uncle and cousins who live in Annandale/Clinton area off of I-78. Where is this site in relationship to them or to Morristown or Flemington

Actually it's in the Philly not NYC metro. It's directly next to Camden, as a matter of fact. But has escaped most of Camden's ills, thanks in part to US Hwy. 130 cutting through and creating a barrier. About 4 miles from CC Philly. Here's the map: map

Although, if this does catch on I hope it spreads like wildfire through NJ cause there is a buttload of similar empty old industrial sites all over the state which quite frankly are an eyesore! Another nice thing about this project is it's being aimed at the middle class rather than the upper crust, such as some projects in Hudson County on the waterfront.

[SouthJersey7]

Here's the area this is taking place in:

The red encircled area is included in the plan and I think the yellow is as well but I'm not quite sure (may be added in the future).

[SouthParkRocks]

Great looking project. Nice human scale and articulation to it. I like the way the building forms are more urban at the street-small shop with apartment above- and then the gable roof and dormers inject more of a cozy cottage feel at the tops.

A great addition to your city I think.

[Jerseyman4]

Between Camden and Collingswood, you go from really bad to really nice. Just like going from Asbury Park to Deal in Monmouth County.

[SouthJersey7]

Between Camden and Collingswood, you go from really bad to really nice. Just like going from Asbury Park to Deal in Monmouth County.

Yes, the main reason for this is US Hwy 130 which separates Camden and Collingswood. They're right on the border with each other but they seem worlds apart, because the highway completely isolated the city from surrounding towns. The urban fabric of Camden used to be seamless with the rest of Camden County, but those days are long gone. Im sure the same could be said of most other old cities and their local towns, in NJ and elsewhere.