Camden’s renaissance will impact the entire state. Let’s keep building on its success.

By James J. Florio

Camden is rising, and I’m proud to say those words with the evidence to back it up.

The Rowan University/Rutgers-C­amden joint board of governors has released a detailed economic analysis highlighting the current renaissance occurring in the city. In several key determinants of public health (public safety, neighborhood quality, education and outside investment), Camden has shown incredible growth in a limited amount of time. This growth is due, in no small part, to the significant investment that has been spurred by the Economic Development Agency’s Grow New Jersey Assistance Program — aka Grow NJ.

The evidence of this historic reversal can be seen from all the way across the Delaware River. Thanks to successful corporate incentives, the waterfront is lined with new businesses, filled with opportunity, jobs and untapped economic potential. In Camden there is an understanding that in the real world, everything is connected, and this understanding has been central to the city’s recent success. Laid out in last week’s report is a compelling narrative that when the public sector, private sector, nonprofit community and academia have all embodied the cooperative spirit, real progress is made possible.

This is not news to the people of Camden, as they’ve felt the impact of these changes firsthand.

Over the past five years, the Camden County Police Department has worked tirelessly to make Camden’s streets safer and to form a bond with the citizens it protects. This effort has made Camden the safest it’s been in 50 years and it has changed the spirit of its people. Crime in Camden is now reaching historic lows, and total crime has dropped 68 percent since 1974. The department’s commitment to a community policing model, in lieu of a military-style occupation, was recognized by President Barack Obama in the President’s Task Force report on 21st Century Policing when he visited Camden.

Off the streets, Camden’s children are feeling the impacts as well. In the city’s public, charter and renaissance schools, we’re seeing how these interconnected forces manifest in improved educational achievement. Since 2012, Camden’s graduation rate has increased from 49 percent to 69 percent, dropout rates have fallen from 21 percent to 10 percent, and K-8 proficiency in math and English/language arts has improved by as much as 300 percent. Today, more than 300 Camden School District students are taking college-level courses through their school, and SAT participation rates have risen by 46 percent.

Throughout the city, communities are seeing unprecedented levels of investment. Within the span studied by the report just released, approximately $55 million has been dedicated to improving Camden’s parks and public spaces, and $2.2 billion has been invested in, or is planned for, public transportation infrastructure such as the Glassboro-Camden line. Companies that received benefits from the Grow NJ program have made or will make at least $1.3 billion in capital investments in Camden, and the economic impact of those investments is estimated at an additional $2.6 billion benefit.

All who are responsible for this progress should feel vindicated as the policies they lined up begin to fall into place, and the rank-and-file citizens who bought in and supported these new methods should be especially proud of themselves and their city.

The state’s role in this success has been and will continue to be substantial. The Economic Development Authority’s incentive system can be, and should be, made even stronger as it administers and monitors its awards.

The Comptroller’s Office has stated that the incentives provided by the EDA have been “critical tools in the state’s effort to retain and attract business enterprises.” Similarly, the joint board’s study concluded that “incentives for residential, retail and corporate development have attracted billions of dollars of economic value to (Camden).” But most important, the joint board’s analysis cautioned that “the growth trajectory of Camden is fragile and is very much dependent on the continuation of state investment, private capital, and other non-monetary efforts to achieve its true potential.”

We are witnessing one of the greatest American comeback stories in recent history, but we’ve only just pushed the ship to sea, and it will surely sink if we neglect our responsibility to steer it in the right direction. If we remain unified, we can reach our final destination together: a safer, more prosperous city of Camden.