Project Imagine Full Design Team Confirmed as Cooper University Health Care Phase One Targets 2028

The Project Imagine expansion is a transformative $3 billion redevelopment of Cooper University Health Care’s Health Sciences Campus in Camden, New Jersey, comprising three new clinical towers and targeting up to 745 all-private inpatient beds across its full programme. As of April 2026, construction on Tower A has entered a significant structural phase, with the Torcon and P. Agnes joint venture reporting a major shift from deep foundation work to full concrete placement. A 750-ton hydraulic crane has mobilised on site to erect a tower crane rising 420 feet above street level, which will install nearly 5,000 pieces of structural steel secured by over 150,000 nuts and bolts.

Full Design Team Confirmed as Project Enters Steel Erection Stage

Post-groundbreaking disclosures have revealed a fuller picture of the design and engineering team assembled for Project Imagine. HKS of Dallas and Array Architects of Washington D.C. serve as joint architects of record, supported by structural engineers O’Donnell and Naccarato of Philadelphia, MEP and fire protection engineers BR+A and Highland Associates, and healthcare planning firm Hammes. Cives Steel has been named as the structural steel supplier for Tower A. The project also includes critical upgrades to the campus central utility plant and a new below-grade basement to house mechanical and back-of-house support infrastructure. The phase one completion timeline has been revised from the initially cited late 2026 or early 2027 to a 2028 target, reflecting the expanded scope of 345,000 square feet confirmed at groundbreaking. This level of phased delivery planning mirrors major paediatric hospital reinvestment programs elsewhere in the U.S., including the Arkansas Children’s Golisano Campus expansion in Little Rock, where the first phase of a US$371 million multi-year project has already opened, demonstrating how large healthcare capital programmes are increasingly being executed through staged commissioning to maintain continuous clinical operations.

Project Overview

Project Name: Project Imagine (Cooper University Health Care Health Sciences Campus Expansion)
Location: Corner of MLK Boulevard and Haddon Avenue, Camden, New Jersey, USA
Developer/Owner: Cooper University Health Care
Total Cost/Value: US$3 billion (full programme); Phase 1 funded in part by US$170 million in New Jersey state grants
Scale/Capacity: Three clinical towers planned; Tower A (Phase 1) is 10 storeys and 345,000 sq ft, adding 125 acuity-adaptable private rooms, new NICU, expanded operating rooms, medical library, and a Regional Medical Coordination Center; full programme will deliver up to 745 all-private inpatient beds
Construction Start: Preliminary site works from late 2024; official groundbreaking 28 January 2025
Expected Completion: Tower A (Phase 1) targeted for completion by 2028; full programme timeline not yet disclosed
Funding/Financing: Cooper University Health Care capital investment; US$170 million New Jersey state grant (COVID-19 emergency preparedness funds via the Murphy Administration)
Current Status: Active construction; concrete placement phase underway as of April 2026; tower crane erected at 420 feet; structural steel erection imminent
Key Milestone: Transition from deep foundations to major concrete placement and tower crane mobilisation confirmed by Torcon in April 2026

Project Team

Cooper University Health Care — Client and Owner
Torcon Inc. (Philadelphia) — Construction Manager (joint venture lead)
P. Agnes Inc. (Philadelphia) — Construction Manager (joint venture partner)
Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters — Lead Construction Labour Partner and Workforce Inclusion Partner
HKS (Dallas) — Architect of Record
Array Architects (Washington D.C.) — Architect of Record (joint)
O’Donnell and Naccarato (Philadelphia) — Structural Engineers
BR+A — Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing / Fire Protection Engineers
Highland Associates — Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing / Fire Protection Engineers (co-engineer)
Hammes — Healthcare Planning and Programming Consultant
Cives Steel — Structural Steel Supplier (Tower A)
Camden Health and Athletic Association (CHAA) — Community Programme Partner
Camden Works — Job Training and Placement Programme Partner
State of New Jersey (Murphy Administration) — Grant Funder (US$170 million COVID-19 Level 1 Trauma Centre grant)

Project Imagine Full Design Team Confirmed as Cooper University Health Care Phase One Targets 2028

Reported 10th September 2024: Cooper University Health Care begins construction on first phase of its $3 billion expansion.

The health system’s spokesperson explained that scheduling conflicts pushed back the official groundbreaking, which was originally set for September. However, preliminary work at the site got underway in the fall.

The first phase of the Camden campus project will focus on building the first of three planned clinical towers. This 10-story, 333,000-square-foot patient care tower will also include a bridge connecting it to the MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center.

The health system described its expansion project, called “Project Imagine,” as the largest in Camden County history and one of the largest ever in New Jersey. Cooper stated the expansion will meet the current and future demand at its 663-bed Cooper University Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper.

When Cooper first announced the major campus expansion in September 2022, estimating the price tag at $2 billion.

Cooper officials explained the new $3 billion figure represents an estimated cost for the project over time and encompasses its “long-term vision” for the Camden campus. “Many factors have adjusted the initial cost projections, which include escalating construction costs,” a Cooper spokesperson stated.

Joint Venture Formation for Cooper University Health Care’s Camden expansion

Last year, Cooper announced it has formed a joint venture with the Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and its construction managers, Torcon Inc. and P. Agnes Inc., both based in Philadelphia, for the project.

The health system claimed the joint venture will create “unprecedented economic opportunity” for Camden residents.

Under the joint venture, the carpenters union will serve as the lead construction partner on Cooper’s expansion and work with the health system to establish specific plans ensuring a hiring preference for Camden residents, overall workforce inclusion, and recruitment for apprentice programs.

Cooper University Health Care announced the estimated cost of its Camden expansion has grown to $3 billion as it prepares to break ground. — Cooper University Health Care announced the estimated cost of its Camden expansion has grown to $3 billion.

Cooper University Health Camden expansion: First Phase Details and Timeline

The first phase of the expansion, the 10-story tower will create between 425 and 475 construction jobs.

The first of the three new clinical towers will increase the hospital’s bed count by 125. The health system stated the towers will incorporate environmental sustainability and include emerging technologies and innovations to provide advanced care and support. The project will also expand education and teaching space for Cooper.

Cooper’s workforce of 11,000 people includes 940 Camden residents.

William C. Sproule, the executive secretary-treasurer of the Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, described the joint venture with Cooper University Health Care as more than a job. “It gives us an opportunity to show what we can do to make the community, our community, better and stronger and create real opportunity,” Sproule said in a statement.

Community Benefit Programs

The union, working with the construction managers, will also help ensure the broader community in the city of Camden and the South Jersey region benefit by supporting programs such as the, Cooper University Health Care’s Camden expansion, Camden Health & Athletic Association and the Camden Works job training and placement program.

The joint venture intends to make regular, quarterly, public reports detailing the number of participants in job training and apprenticeship programs, the number of Camden city residents hired, and the number hired from “historically underrepresented groups.”

Cooper University Health Camden expansion: Factsheet

Project Name: Project Imagine

Location: Camden, New Jersey

Estimated Cost: $3 billion

Initial Cost Estimate (2022): $2 billion

Lead Organization: Cooper University Health Care

Key Partners: Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, Torcon Inc., P. Agnes Inc.

Expected Completion (Phase 1): Late 2026 or early 2027

Job Creation: 425-475 construction jobs (Phase 1)

Construction Review