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Cooper University Health Care hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 28 to officially launch its $3 billion “Imagine” expansion project in Camden.

The guest list included current Gov. Phil Murphy, former Govs. Chris Christie, Jon Corzine, Jim McGreevey and Tom Kean; U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J.; Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen; TV star and South Jersey native Kelly Ripa; Cooper Health co-CEOs Kevin O’Dowd and Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli; and George Norcross III, chairman of the Cooper board of trustees; among others.

According to a statement released Tuesday, the first phase of the project is a 10-story, 35,000-square-foot hospital tower on the corner of MLK and Haddon Avenue across from the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. The tower “will use approximately $170 million in state grant money the Murphy Administration provided to the State’s three Level 1 trauma centers after the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen New Jersey’s emergency preparedness,” Cooper noted.

Read more about the ceremony here, and stay tuned for our complete coverage.

A brief look back (click on any date to read more):

• September 2022: Cooper University Health Care and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper announce the expansion in Camden. At the time, with a price tag of $2 billion. NJBIZ dives deeper in the launch here.
• September 2024: The health network unveiled the latest development in the now $3 billion Project Imagine – a joint venture with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and its construction manager, Torcon Inc./P. Agnes Inc.
• October 2024: The Cooper Foundation’s 14th Annual Red Hot Gala raised a record nearly $4 million.
• October 2024: Cooper offered Camden residents the chance to sign up for job-training opportunities in connection with project.

NJBIZ staff members Matthew Fazelpoor and Dawn Furnas contributed to this report.