NJ TRANSIT is advancing the $250-million overhaul of the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden with today’s release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design of a new facility to replace the current terminal. In February, Governor Phil Murphy joined with NJDOT Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, community leaders and local, county and state officials to officially kick off this major investment in Camden.
The WRTC Improvement Project, seeks to upgrade and enlarge the existing facility to accommodate the development renaissance currently underway in the City of Camden. It is currently contemplated that the project will be constructed on the existing site in Camden. With the emergence of a burgeoning educational and health care corridor in the downtown area and surrounding vicinity, a multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the nearby waterfront is being proposed to the west of downtown and the headquarters for both the Campbell Soup Company and Subaru of America to the east.
The new WRTC building will provide accommodations for future transit developments and the potential for new retail, office, housing and hospitality opportunities utilizing Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) design standards.
The WRTC is envisioned to be replaced and expanded to accommodate growth throughout Camden County. The project would ultimately replace the existing facility with an expanded multi-purpose transit center that will provide an improved link for transportation in South Jersey. The new center would better accommodate the 26 bus lines that serve the facility; provide improved intermodal connectivity with the PATCO Speedline subway and the River LINE light rail; support intercity independent bus services; and provide additional parking, administrative offices, and value capture retail opportunities to the adjacent growing educational and health care corridor. It would also provide an opportunity for integration with zero-emissions buses, in line with Governor Murphy’s Energy Master Plan.
The RFP seeks to obtain proposals from qualified professional firms to conduct Conceptual Design, Preliminary Engineering, Final Design Engineering, and Construction Assistance for the WRTC Improvement Project.
The initial design phase, once commenced, is expected to take about 9 months to complete.