As a result, the soup and snack giant said it plans to invest $50 million to upgrade and expand its headquarters in the city, where it has operated from for more than 150 years.

“The number of residents gainfully employed right now is record breaking in the city and the county,” said Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. “To think where we were as a community just two short years ago, from watching neighbors, friends and family members lose jobs during the pandemic to a tremendous resurgence of the job market over the last year. It’s hard to believe we are in this new normal.”

The effort will bring upgrades to facilitate access to the Port of Camden along with improvements to stormwater management in the surrounding areas and neighborhoods. 

Administered through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit program, the funding will go toward “My North Camden!” — a project submitted by Camden Lutheran Housing Inc. and six local partners.

Among the five students signed to name, image and likeness deals by the big-name brand is the No. 1 ranked recruit in the nation, Camden High School superstar DJ Wagner.

The health center's massive undertaking will "touch all facets of this community," said Gov. Phil Murphy at the announcement. The area "has seen a dramatic transformation in recent years as many state and local partners have worked together to improve the city, and Cooper has played an integral role in those efforts."

The investment is the largest in the county’s history and will dramatically expand the system’s Camden campus to meet current and future demand.

The governor described the city as one "on the rise," promoting the direct funding, which will go toward its infrastructure needs, upgrades and capital projects.

Most recently it was the Waterfront Music Pavilion, before that it's been the BB&T Pavilion, Susquehanna Bank Center, Tweeter Center, and Blockbuster-Sony Music Entertainment Center. Now, Live Nation has introduced the newest sponsor for the waterfront attraction.

The waterfront site will host Rutgers-Camden athletics, city youth sports and daily community use, in addition to collaborative health sciences, research and education programs.

Mayor Victor Carstarphen commended the utility company for its contributions, calling it “a catalyst for tangible transformation" in the city.

Members of the Biden team and city officials came out to celebrate the start of the work that will redevelop Albett Village, built in the 1950s and located in the Cramer Hill neighborhood.