Community Developement Director - John Kane
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General Information

Building our future by restoring our past - It began on July 11, 1996 with the acquisition of Sutton Towers and the monumental effort to convert the complex into the New Parkview. The latest achievement is a designation as a Transit Village bringing $200,000 from the State of New Jersey and $250,000 from the Delaware River Port Authority.



Accomplishments (in no particular order)

• The completion of the West Collingswood
• The start of the Tatem Neighborhood Preservation Programs
• The acquisition and adaptive reuse of The Old Zane School
• The calming of Haddon Avenue traffic
• The installation of the Millennium Clock and the Memorial Walk
• The formation of three business improvement districts and the establishment of Collingswood Partners
• The recruitment of 46 new businesses to date
• The creation of the Newton Colony Arts Bank
• The introduction of technology into daily borough operations
• The execution of two Capital Improvement and Infrastructure
Repair Programs
• The solution to the 50 year old Richey Avenue and Route 130 flooding problems
• The launch of the Town Crier
• The formation of the Collingswood Foundation for the Arts and the lease of the Scottish Rite Auditorium
• The design and construction of the Senior Community Center
• The arrangement with The Perkins Center for the Arts
• The development of a new Master Plan
• The winning and execution of Smart Growth and DVRPC study grants for mixed use Infill and Transit Oriented Development
• The Duplex Conversion Program
• The conversion of Eldridge Gardens to Pewter Village
• The acquisition and rehabilitation of 33 Collings Avenue (Bobby Chez Crab Cakes)



Duplex Conversion Program

The Borough of Collingswood desires to make home ownership more attractive and to lessen the pressure of overdevelopment on parking and services. The plan chosen to accomplish this task is the Multi-Family Conversion Program. This program will provide incentives to all categories of persons who may wish to participate. They are: 1. Owner-occupants 2. Investor-owners 3. Investor-resellers.

The financial management of the program will be through First Colonial National Bank. The administrative management will be through the Borough Community Development Office. All interested in the program are encouraged to call the Community Development Office at 856-854-0720, x126.

General Eligibility Creiteria:

1. Structure originally built as single family home.
2. Structure located in an officially designated redevelopment area.
3. Structure is now zoned for multi-family use.
4. Applicant will apply for permanent return of structure to single
family use.
5. Applicant meets creditworthiness standards of bank.
6. Applicant will accept mortgage lien which will allow financing up
to 100% of home value.
7. Applicant will follow procedures established by the Borough
of Collingswood.

Specific Eligibility Creiteria:

For Owner Occupant:
1. Will be required to make no payments during the first year in
which the loan is in effect as long as the applicant is the owner
and occupies the premises.
2. Will receive financing up to 100% of an appraisal based on when
the work is finished.
3. Will receive financing rate 2% below prime rate of bank.
4. Will have mortgages placed against the property to cover the loan
amount and the interest expense of the first year.
5. Will be required to pay off all mortgages whenever the house is
sold or refinanced.

For Investor Owner:
1. Will receive financing up to 100% of an appraisal based on when
the work is finished.
2. Will receive financing rate 2% below prime rate of bank.
3. Will have mortgages placed against the property to cover the loan
amount and the interest expense of the first year.
4. Will be required to pay off all mortgages whenever the house is
sold or refinanced.

For Investor-Reseller:
1. Will receive financing up to 100% of an appraisal based on when
the work is finished.
2. Will receive financing rate 2% below prime rate of bank.
3. Will have mortgages placed against the property to cover the loan
amount and the interest expense of the first year.
4. Will be required to pay off all mortgages whenever the house is
sold or refinanced.
5. Will be urged to use a professional realtor who will actively market
the property.


On The Horizon
Despite the accomplishments of the past 6-1/2 years, there is much still to do. The Police Station has regularly failed state inspection because of age. It cannot be repaired. The holding cells are obsolete and the facility is too small. Replacement is the only solution and further delay may incur penalties from the state. This provides the opprtunity to consolidate municipal government and its services in a single structure. To do so will require the relocation of Public Works to the site of M&E Marine. There are several scenarios for the development of the Lumber Yard. The Scottish Rite must be brought into the 21st Century without damage to its character and internal ambience. There are still more than 300 multifamily homes (reduced from over 500) which are eligible "To Be Single Again." The Sharp School neighborhood has the potential for new home construction. There are designated Redevelopment Areas which are steadily finding solutions. Parking is a major issue which has been seeking solutions for decades. These are the targets for future development which are the focus of planners today. For further information contact the Community Development Office at 856-854-0720, extension 126 or e-mail John Kane

Master Plan
The Borough's Master Plan is available for review by any interested party by stopping by the Borough Hall. Copies of the plan on CD may be obtained for a $25.00 from the Borough Clerk's office.

Bobby Chez and Pewter Village are Open!
Pewter Village is located on Eldridge Avenue between Taylor and Champion Avenues. Bobby Chez is located at 33 Collings Avenue behind Borough Hall. What do an apartment complex and a gourmet food establishment have in common? They are both redevelopment projects of the Borough of Collingswood which have restored dilapidated structures, And both are such magnificent successes that it is difficult to imagine how they began. In completion, they are contributors, par excellence, to the continuing Collingswood resurgence.

Collingswood Foundation For The Arts Leases Scottish Rite Auditorium For 50 Years
On December 8, the Collingswood Foundation for the Arts and the Masons of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite executed a lease which became effective on January 1, 2003. The Arts Foundation will rehabilatate the structure for theater, orchestra, grand dining, dancing and community use. The Masonic organization will continue to use the facility for their regular schedule of events. They will continue to own the building. The first major usage is a Winter-Spring Concert Series which wil bring performances by Robrt Klein, Patty Griffin, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Joan Baez and Dee Bridgewater. In FebruaryCollingswood Community Theatre will perform "The Music Man" by Meredith Wilson. Stay tuned for updates as they occur.