Cooper Norcross Health seeks planning board approval for a new 10-story hospital tower in Camden as part of an ongoing $3 billion system expansion, site plans show.
Developers are scheduled to present the proposal for the Benson Pavilion to Camden’s planning board on Monday. The 110-bed facility would rise at the corner of Haddon Avenue and Benson Street alongside another 10-story tower currently under construction on the same campus.
“While their investments are numerous, the $3 billion expansion is the largest investment in Camden,” Vincent Basara, a spokesperson for the city, told inquirer.com. “This project is yet another testament to Cooper Norcross Health’s unwavering commitment to Camden and the city’s revitalization.”
The proposed Benson building represents one of three patient towers included in Cooper’s Project Imagine expansion plan, which was announced four years ago. Workers broke ground on the first 10-story, 125-bed tower in January 2025. That initial structure, designated Tower A, will connect to the cancer center via a pedestrian bridge over Haddon Avenue and is scheduled for completion in 2028.
A Cooper spokesperson was not able to say when they hope to break ground or open the new hospital. The project will unfold in two phases according to the site plans. Crews will construct the lower six floors first to allow the facility to operate at partial occupancy before building the remaining four floors.
During its busiest shifts, Benson Pavilion will accommodate 428 employees and 40 doctors. Spanning its 10 floors, the tower will encompass a footprint of nearly 30,000 square feet while providing an aggregate area exceeding 315,000 square feet.
Although the designated site for the Benson structure currently functions as an emergency department drop-off loop for the health system, architectural blueprints indicate that a replacement drop-off area is incorporated into the development. According to the site plans, Cooper plans to rent external parking spots to address heightened parking needs and transport staff via shuttle from a remote lot situated close to the Camden Waterfront.