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Prioritize Investment in Neighborhoods with Catalytic Potential: Former Mercer Hospital Complex Area

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 What is an Initiative?

 

An Initiative is a coordinated effort designed to achieve a Goal. Initiatives contain Actions that, when executed together, will help the City achieve one or more of its Goals.

Goals related to this Initiative

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The goal in this area is to use the redevelopment of the hospital as a catalyst for change in the larger neighborhoods surrounding the complex. At the same time, the City should consider the strong neighborhoods surrounding Cadwalader Park as a base that can be incrementally expanded towards downtown Trenton. Moreover, excellent access to the D&R Canal will be a key amenity that encourages growth in the area. As such, the following initiatives must be coordinated with the housing strategy in this area:

  • Comprehensive Capital City Regional Trail Network Initiative

  • Revitalize Large Catalytic Development Sites

  • Reinforce Neighborhoods with the Highest Values and Concentration of Home-Ownership

Within the surrounding neighborhoods, the relatively high level of vacancy will require initiatives to be focused on stabilization, and in certain cases, demolition. However, since the area also has relatively strong homeownership rates and foreclosure rates, homeowner assistance programs are also likely to be effective tool for improving the area. One of the most significant things affecting this area is the low median sale price and high percentage of homes with tax liens. This creates a difficult situation: even if the City acquires troubled properties, it is unlikely to be able to return them to productive use quickly. However, if the City can be successful in redeveloping the formal hospital and expanding stronger neighborhoods towards downtown, it will likely have leverage to get property owners to improve their homes. Early efforts to establish a City & Neighborhood Partnership Committee in the area are likely to pay long-term benefits: the City will be able to work with residents to redevelop the formal hospital in a context sensitive manner and build relationships for rehabilitation efforts later in the process.
The City should consider all of the tools identified in the Housing Toolkit to execute this initiative. For more information on the toolkit, see Develop Housing Toolkit & Implement Prioritized Investment Framework Initiative. In addition, the City should implement the actions listed below to supplement the toolkit.

Actions that support this Initiative

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