Camden needs to take out an insurance policy against Campbell's Soup, and a mixed use campus is that policy.
By
Michael McAteer

Campbell's Soup has been a great corporate citizen in Camden for over 134 years. However, its proposed new world headquarters business campus, consisting only of Class A business suites and huge parking lots is a design progressive communities across America have been rejecting for several years now, and for good reason.

Campbell's commitment to building a new world headquarters is a strong vote of confidence in Camdens future, and it would be tragic on many levels if it were to leave the city. However, in this era of merger and acquisitions mania Campbell's management could find it has no choice in the matter, if shareholders receive an offer they cannot refuse.
Campbell's plan is single use. All the buildings are expected to be occupied by Campbell's and its suppliers. If Campbell's were to be merged or acquired by another company with headquarters elsewhere, Camden will find itself with an abandoned complex up for sale, or rented to an entirely different clientele which could only be attracted at a discount. Renting out or selling this single use space would be a major and difficult challenge.

If the dollar continues to devalue at the current rate, an acquisition of Campbell's is an almost certain eventuality in the coming years, as foreign companies pick up irresistible brands such as Campbell's for chump change. This is already happening to American companies as large as Campbell's at an accelerating rate. A mixed use development would be an insurance policy against the city suddenly finding itself with a empty massive business campus for sale in a city known far and wide for it's inability to attract businesses.  Campbell's can increase the value of its new campus immediately with a New Urbanism, "Placemaking" design that would certainly attract many more businesses close to it that are not dependent upon Campbell's presence in the city to thrive. A well built mixed use sustainable complex can survive well beyond Campbell's exit from the city if that were to occur. Remember, just two weeks ago Campbell's Soup threatened to quit the city for good. What is to say two years from now, another issue won't irritate Campbell's into making the same threat, and this time following through with it? Campbell's has already stated it can and will leave the city at the drop of a hat, and  stated at two public meetings that its first obligation is to its shareholders and not the city. Under those conditions, Camden needs to take out an insurance policy, and a mixed use New Urbanism campus is that policy.

-Michael McAteer                                                Campbell's Soup may leave Camden, N.J. after chaotic...