New Facility at Cooper Cancer Institute in New Jersey Celebrates Grand Opening

October 30, 2013

A recent ribbon cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, a $58.8 million state of-the-art medical facility that is the newest addition to the Cooper Cancer Institute campus in Camden, New Jersey. Building America CDE, Inc., a subsidiary of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust (HIT), provided $7 million in New Markets Tax Credits to help build the new facility, which allows the Institute to significantly expand its cancer treatment programs and clinical research activity as well as community education and outreach. 

“We are thrilled that this new state-of-the-art facility is open to serve patients in southern New Jersey,” said Eric W. Price, CEO of Building America. “Not only is it bringing advanced cancer treatment to the area, but it will also serve as a catalyst for Camden’s economic revitalization, especially by creating jobs and encouraging further new investment in the surrounding low-income community.” 

The 103,000-square-foot LEED-designed center is the result of a partnership between Camden-based Cooper University Health Care and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, rated one of the country’s top cancer hospitals. Patients in the southern New Jersey region will now have access to MD Anderson’s cutting-edge treatment, research, and clinical trials. 

"This is a game changer for cancer care in our region,” said Cooper Chairman George Norcross. “We are combining the best cancer care in south Jersey with the number one cancer program in the country to foster a remarkable opportunity for patients and families in our region."

Cooper Cancer Institute is located in a severely distressed Census tract that is federally designated as a medically underserved area. Additionally, more than 49,000 New Jersey residents were diagnosed with cancer in 2011. Now residents will have access to advanced treatment technologies, groundbreaking clinical trials, and a full range of supportive care services. 

In a community that is suffering from a 10% unemployment rate and a poverty rate of almost 40%, Cooper has served as a community anchor institution for over 125 years. The new cancer center generated over 100 union construction jobs, more than 280 additional construction-related jobs, and 52 permanent jobs on-site.