Cherry Hill Council Will Wait to Consider Redevelopment Issues

Though the first step in a potential redevelopment plan that could pave the way for a new home for Subaru’s North American headquarters is done, the second is likely still a few weeks away, township officials said.

After the planning board gave the recommendation to pursue a redevelopment zone at 110 Woodcrest Road—currently home to Victory Refrigeration—the township council, which has to approve a resolution to designate such a zone and could do so as early as Monday, most likely won’t take up the issue until after Election Day, officials said.

Right now, it appears the council will consider that resolution at its Nov. 12 meeting, township spokeswoman Bridget Palmer said.

A study presented last week characterized the property as “grossly underutilized,” obsolete and potentially dangerous, hitting it for being out-of-date and out-of-shape, and noting the potential for smart growth, given its proximity to Route 295, the Turnpike and the PATCO High-Speed Line.

The township council could now designate all or part of the 35-acre property as a redevelopment zone, which would then kick-start the process of preparing a redevelopment plan.

“This is the first step of a multi-step process,” said Paul Stridick, the township’s planning director, at the public hearing last week. “We're really at the beginning stages. It's sometimes very complex...to put a timeline on it is impossible.”

Township officials have said the redevelopment study on the Victory site, as well as a second study at a vacant lot slated for an off-track betting parlor at the old Garden State Racetrack property, were both aimed at finding a new home for Subaru, which has outgrown its current headquarters on Route 70.

Redevelopment at either site wouldn’t have to be limited to the Japanese automaker’s needs, however, and officials said they want to create the opportunity for growth, no matter who might move into the space.

“I envision transforming the Victory site into an economically viable and thriving world-class corporate campus fit for the 21st century,” Mayor Chuck Cahn said when the council initially recommended the site for a redevelopment study. “This is an opportunity to grow the township’s commercial ratable base, solidify our thriving local economy and set a precedent for future growth.”

Subaru officials have said they’re looking for a space almost double the size of their current headquarters along the Cooper River, a 115,000-square-foot office tower on a 13-acre property that's maxed out, with no room for growth, and could make a move in the next two years to new digs.

Close to 900 employees from various locations could be moved into a new space, according to Michael McHale, the company’s director of corporate communications, which is the focus of trying to find a suitable location, rather than other concerns.

“It's been driven from an operational standpoint,” he said previously.

Though McHale said the company would like to stay in the township, other locations have been trying to peel Subaru away from Cherry Hill, including Philadelphia’s Navy Yard.