Cooper University Health Care is about to start construction of a $30 million, grant-funded, combined heat and power plant, also known as the co-gen project. This new, state-of-the-art plant will provide our Camden campus* with power in the event of an outage, eliminating concerns over the safety and security of our patients and employees. The plant will be more environmentally efficient while considerably reducing our energy costs.
Like all projects, construction will cause some temporary inconvenience, particularly medical transport parking. Please be assured that the project team has consulted with all stakeholders and has developed plans to minimize inconvenience and also coordinate with the Emergency Department (ED) expansion. We appreciate and thank you for your cooperation. The work includes two primary tasks.
Task #1: Trenching
Trenches will be dug to lay power lines connecting the plant to other campus buildings. The excavation will run along Benson Street and across Haddon Avenue to MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper and the Sheridan Pavilion and back to the E&R Building. Work will begin Wednesday, March 21, 2018, and continue through Wednesday, April 4, 2018. Alternative parking arrangements will be in effect throughout this period.
Alternative Parking Plan
From March 21, 2018, through April 4, 2018, the ED ambulance parking and drop-off area will lose three to four parking spaces outside of the entrance. Five to six spaces will remain available for medical transport, 911 emergency ambulance, and police vehicle parking. To compensate, transports not going to the ED will be directed to park at the Kelemen circle. Free valet parking will be offered to ease patient drop-off at the walk-in entrance. A uniformed sheriff’s officer will be stationed in the area to manage traffic flow.
Task #2: Crane Operations
The new plant will be located between the existing power plant and the loading dock. A crane will be used to set the steel in place. It will sit outside the ambulance entrance to the ED and will be on site from May 30, 2018, through August 10, 2018.
Alternative Parking Plan
The ED will lose all medical transport, 911 emergency ambulance, and police parking spaces outside of the ED entrance from May 30, 2018, through August 10, 2018. To compensate, Benson Street will become one-way from 7th Street to Broadway. Angled parking along Benson will temporarily replace the lost ambulance and support vehicle parking. Transports not going to the ED will again be directed to the Kelemen circle. The angled parking will alleviate any impact on patient parking at the circle for walk-in ED visits. Nevertheless, a uniformed sheriff’s officer will be deployed to manage traffic flow.
Exiting the CCIA Garage
Between May 30, 2018, and August 10, 2018, traffic exiting the CCIA garage will be encouraged to depart from the MLK side exit. Vehicles exiting from the Benson Street side will be required to turn right toward Broadway, and will not be able to turn left toward Haddon Avenue due to the new traffic patterns.
* The combined heat and power plant will serve the following buildings: Kelemen Building, Roberts Pavilion, Dorrance Building, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Sheridan Pavilion, and the Education and Research Building.