By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Tonight is the second to last stakeholder meeting for the Bancroft redevelopment plan. The Haddonfield Civic Association, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Y’s Men, Partnership for Haddonfield, and Friend of the Haddonfield College will meet tonight with Clarke, Caton and Hintz planning firm representatives to discuss potential ideas about the redevelopment of the near 20-acre campus.
Christian Strasser, a spokesperson for the Friends of the Haddonfield College, said he is looking forward to having an opportunity to share his group’s idea for a university at the site.
“I’d be excited if some aspect of the idea gets incorporated. I want to make the town a better place,” he said.
Hopefully the planning firm representatives will have an open mind and not shut off when someone proposes an idea outside of the status quo, he said.
The initial proposal Strasser and several others created planned for 2,400 full-time students and 600 part-time students with four identical dormitories on the property. A cafeteria, lab facility, lecture hall, student center, and gymnasium would fill out the property. Add in two parking garages, a performing arts center, tennis courts, and three campus offices and the college would take up almost all of the 19-acre property, according to the report.
Taking into account estimates on tuition, room and board costs, Strasser said the college could annually take in about $102 million a year. Costs, including salaries for employees, he reported could be in the neighborhood of $92.5 million. Thus, the college and Haddonfield would have to share about $9.5 million each year if the numbers hold at their estimates, he reported.
The numbers are all estimates, Strasser reported. Several residents officially endorsed the plan and signed a letter that Strasser crafted and sent to the Haddonfield Commissioners last November.
The next stakeholder meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 22 with the Haddonfield Board of Education in the HMHS auditorium at 7 p.m. An open house will be held on Saturday, March 26 at the high school for any member of the community that wishes to learn more about the redevelopment.
For more information please visit www.bancroftredevelopment.com.
