STORMWATER & CSO

Case Study: Phoenix Park

Camden, Camden County

OPPORTUNITY/CHALLENEGES 
The former American Minerals lot, a 5.3-acre site located in the Waterfront South section of Camden City, was considered a brownfield for its contamination of radium and thorium embedded in the soil. The ground on this site on average collected and passed through around five million gallons of stormwater per year, from which contamination would seep into the river and nearby combined sewer overflows.

PARTNERS 
The effort to transform this site was undertaken through the Camden SMART (Stormwater Management and Resource Training) Initiative, the purpose of which is to develop a comprehensive network of green infrastructure programs and projects for the City of Camden. Partners who assisted with the park design include the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, the City of Camden, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program, New Jersey Tree Foundation, the DEP Office of Brownfield Reuse, and the Nature Conservancy.

ACTION
Remediation of the site began with the removal of concrete as well as classification and removal of contaminated soil. Once the site had been cleared of contamination and debris, a construction team leveled the field, constructed pathways, and planted grass, plants, and trees in accordance with Phase 1 of the project. The next two phases involved the creation of wetlands and marsh areas within the park to aide in stormwater runoff management and improve water quality, in addition to the creation of a living shoreline that will protect the park’s coastline and provide resilience through erosion control and habitat protection.

FUNDING/RESOURCES 
The site was purchased by the CCMUA through a Camden County Open Space Trust Fund grant. Much of the funding for the project came from the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust’s Water Bank program, which offers loans for stormwater projects for less than 1% interest. Funding from DEP’s Green Acres program was also used for the creation of the park.

RESULTS & BENEFITS 
The grand opening of Phoenix Park was held on June 5 of 2015 with the final phase being completed in December of 2017. The former brownfield site has been transformed into a beautiful waterfront oasis for residents of the City of Camden to enjoy. The new park improves management of stormwater runoff through the development of green infrastructure as well as improves air quality, access to open space and the waterfront. Notably, the project was recognized as one of the most innovative uses of federal water infrastructure funding in the country by the USEPA and US Environmental Council.