He also proposes opening another restaurant or craft brewery, noting the great potential to repurpose the site of the former bank at the intersection of Black Horse Pike and Church Street, an impressive-looking building with large stone walls.Īs Gloucester Township gets a boost, so has Hammell’s career. One of Hammell’s first ideas is to adorn the downtown area with murals and graffiti art as a way to get people to stop and take a look. student ended up writing the resolution for the town council to establish the arts district and it passed unanimously about a week later in mid-July. Hammell and his wife Candace walk along the Delaware River with their daughters Maya (left) and Areese “Brian provided the township with a tremendous amount of information and knowledge that will lead to future economic development,” says Mayer.

Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer and members of the Gloucester Township Council were so impressed with Hammell’s work and expertise that they quickly got on board with the arts district plan. Other towns have done this successfully, such as Millville with the Glasstown Arts District.” “There had already been discussions on creating a new black box theater, so I thought there was a great opportunity to expand on this art presence,” says Hammell, a native of nearby Lindenwold who attended Lindenwold High School. He then conducted research and looked at the socioeconomic profile of Gloucester Township, resulting in his proposal to develop an arts district as part of a downtown redevelopment initiative. Shortly thereafter, Hammell met with members of the Gloucester Township Economic Development Corporation and listened to their issues and interest in dealing with declining business in the area. I saw the potential in the downtown area, if only we could get people out of their cars and walking around.” “The streetscape had recently been redone, but there were no feet on the ground, no retail destinations for visitors. “Living in Blackwood, I could see the abandoned properties and the buildings in disrepair,” says Hammell, who earned an MPA at Rutgers–Camden in 2014. While he didn’t plan to open a business, he knew that he could help. He was walking in downtown Blackwood when he noticed a sign saying to contact the local economic development agency for redevelopment opportunities. “His meticulous work and dedication is a testament to our students’ abilities to work successfully with local government officials and community members to contribute to efforts addressing community needs.”Īs Hammell recalls, it all started with a sign – literally. “Brian is making a major impact,” says Minnite. Hammell leads a presentation for his Triad colleagues on economic development strategies for the Gloucester Township arts district.

practicum – an applied research course treated like a student consultancy – that Hammell completed with the Gloucester Township Economic Development Corporation under the tutelage of Lori Minnite, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Rutgers–Camden. The idea for an arts district arose out of a Ph.D. student in public affairs at Rutgers University–Camden, the festival – and more importantly, the burgeoning arts district – would never have been possible. Without the expertise and guidance of Hammell, a Ph.D. If you look fast that day, you may be able to catch Brian Hammell in action, organizing an army of volunteers to check IDs, hand out bracelets, monitor activities, keep the streets clean, and remove trash from bins, amongst other duties.īut the Gloucester Township resident is more than just a helpful volunteer. 9, at 15 South Black Horse Pike in downtown Blackwood. The township will celebrate a new era of economic development and officially launch the arts district with an inaugural food and craft beer festival from 2 to 7 p.m. Hammell thought that there was a great opportunity to expand on the art presence in downtown Blackwood.Īfter recent business declines in its Main Street area, Gloucester Township is now poised for a renaissance with plans to open a new arts district in downtown Blackwood.

Gloucester township