In Camden, the blighted Northgate 1 is being transformed into a symbol of hope

When Tyran Gorham said his freshly renovated Northgate 1 apartment is “breathtaking,” he wasn’t just talking about his 19th-floor view of Center City Philadelphia.

“We’ve heard so many promises that haven’t come true,” said Gorham, 48, a Northgate 1 tenant for a decade. “To see what we’ve been told actually being carried out, with results, is refreshing.”

An imposing structure that overlooks the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Northgate 1 has long been synonymous with lofty hopes, broken promises, and more recently with living conditions described as “deplorable” by the city’s mayor. Northgate 1 is now undergoing a $130 million overhaul by the new owner, Hudson Valley Property Group.

The New York firm specializes in preserving affordable apartments by buying, rehabbing, and managing rental properties with troubled histories, doing top-to-bottom renovations, and providing on-site management and other services.

On Thursday, in a parking lot where Northgate 1′s swimming pool and cabana used to be, company principals and city officials celebrated with a symbolic groundbreaking where the mood was as sunny as the weather. A spokesperson said “the significance of this project” was why Hudson Valley decided to hold its first-ever groundbreaking event; the company has about 30 developments in its portfolio.

“It’s Northgate’s time,” said Andrew Cavaluzzi, partner in and cofounder of Hudson Valley. “We’re changing the perception of Northgate, and the experience of living here, and creating a place people who live here will be proud to call home.”

He also read a statement from Karen Merricks, who has led the Northgate 1 tenants association for 25 years but was unable to attend the groundbreaking.

“Today marks a transformational moment,” Merricks said in the statement. “Together we are turning the page to a brighter future for our community. We’ve been waiting someone to take over and do this right.”

Jason Bordainick, Hudson Valley managing partner and cofounder, said Northgate 1′s challenges are due to “years of neglect” but predicted “an incredible transformation“ of the property.

With about 14 months to go, “we’re picking up steam,” he said.

Hudson Valley focuses on buying, rebuilding, and managing affordable urban rental properties, like the 75-year-old Crestbury Apartments in Camden’s Morgan Village neighborhood. Renamed Community Meadows after an $85 million Hudson Valley makeover completed in 2022, the complex has 391 apartments spread among 42 two-story buildings.

At Northgate, 18 of the 321 apartments in the building have been rehabbed so far. The roof has been replaced, and the first of five new elevators has been installed and awaits final inspection. Video and other security systems are coming online. New boilers have been delivered, too, company officials said.

Residents are moved into empty apartments and then return to their newly renovated units, typically in 15 to 30 days, said resident LaMont Polk, on-site coordinator of the process.

When they return to their renovated unit, “there’s definitely a ‘wow’ factor,” he said. “They love it. You can feel it.”

Brick work, masonry repairs, waterproofing, and other facade work is underway and is especially visible on the east side of the building. The first phase of lobby renovations should be finished by the end of July, and completion of a first-floor fitness center, laundry room, and management office is expected in September.

The acquisition and renovations of the property by Hudson Valley are financed through a mix of public and private investment, including federal low-income housing tax credits, New Jersey’s Aspire economic development tax credits, and a PILOT agreement with the city.

“We’ve been waiting for this project for a long time,” said Jose Casimiro, 68, who with his wife, Altagrica, lives in a newly renovated third-floor apartment: “It’s simply beautiful!”

Northgate 1 was envisioned as a major boost for Camden when it was built as a luxury high-rise in 1962. It offered an inground swimming pool with underwater illumination, a shopping “colonnade,” and a rooftop terrace — accessible only to residents and guests in the two-story penthouse. Celebrities were rumored to be leasing apartments.

But Camden’s accelerating decline in population and economic vitality proved more challenging than expected for Northgate. A year after it opened, the building was only half occupied and its owners were seeking a property tax break. Later, decades of deferred maintenance and aging systems culminated in March 2022 when city inspectors found 1,155 code violations.

That’s when Mayor Victor Carstarphen, who made Northgate 1 a focus of his administration, called the conditions there “deplorable.”

But on Thursday, he said: ”I can assure those who live at the renovated Northgate [that they] will be residing in the high-quality housing they deserve.

“My administration is excited about the prospects of positive change, and we expect a renovated Northgate 1 to help transform the surrounding community … bringing with it new opportunity, new jobs, and additional investment in Camden.”