The movers and shakers of Camden city government finally have found a way to move in step. This new effort at cooperation was on display Tuesday when Chief Operating Officer Randy Primas, Mayor Gwendolyn Faison and Council President Angel Fuentes met with the Courier-Post's editorial board to discuss planned revitalization of the Cramer Hill neighborhood.

There message: There's a new hope in Camden.

Just a year or two ago, few would have imagined developers would be lining up to spend their money in the city. Builders used to show up with their hats in their hands, according to Faison, hinting that they would be willing to take a risk in Camden only if the city would cover large portions of the costs.

That's no longer the case. Cherokee Investment Partners of Raleigh, N.C., plans to spend $1.2 billion in coming years to build 5,000 homes and a golf course in the Cramer Hill section of the city.

On the tail of that news, officials unveiled the "Downtown Camden Strategic Development Plan" Tuesday afternoon. The $1 billion plan is designed to bring housing, commerce and employment to the Market and Cooper streets and Mickle Boulevard.

Unlike the Cramer Hill project, however, the funding for this plan still is highly questionable. According to Stan Eckstut, a representative of the firm that came up with the plan, the development would be completed in phases, as the market demands, and it would mostly pay for itself.

Camden officials should tread very lightly in this case. The plan sounds almost too good to be true - and the last thing Camden needs is a new problem hanging over its head just as things are looking up.

In the meantime, Camden officials are studying almost 20 more development proposals for the Bergen Square and Lanning Square neighborhoods.

All this comes in the wake of the promise of $175 million from the state to spur growth and development; a multiyear plan to double the size of the state aquarium and build up the Camden Waterfront; and the opening of The Victor luxury apartments.

It's worth noting, however, that Camden has had numerous revitalization opportunities through the years, and each time the plans have crumbled. That history has led us to rein in our excitement about the current renaissance.

But it's getting more and more difficult to do so.

It really is starting to look as though Camden has turned the corner on the road to recovery.

Everyone involved - from the leaders who spoke to the editorial board to other city officials to all of the residents of Camden who fought for their neighborhoods instead of giving up and moving away - deserves enormous praise for their efforts and their fortitude.

The building boom certainly benefits everyone who lives or works in Camden, but we shouldn't forget that a successful Camden is likely to be far more self-sufficient when it comes to the need for state aid. In other words, a stronger Camden benefits everyone in South Jersey and across the state.

There still is a long way to go, as Faison, Primas and Fuentes admitted Tuesday. But it's terribly exciting to see the city and its people on the right path for the first time in decades.