Hi, I’m new to CT, but I have some interesting news to share. I met Haddon Twp. mayor Bill Park at a street fair last month and talked to him about the Westmont Theater and the two vacant buildings next door to it.
I am a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Camden, and we are discussing opening a “ReStore” in the Camden County area (see Habitat’s website for more info on this). I thought the Westmont Theater would be a great location for such a venture. Habitat could rehab the building and could keep the structure as much intact as possible. Of course, the seats would need to be removed, but at least this beautiful structure would not be torn down or turned into a drugstore.
Bill told me that Joanna Pang owned the theater, which of course, is not true. The township owns it and is responsible for its maintenance. He said that the Erdman roofing building and brown shingle house are slated for demolition, but he couldn’t say when.
Today at a meeting at HFH in Camden, I met the man who put the Joanna Pang deal together. He is a former board member of HFH.
He was at first offended when I mentioned the pipe dream that Joanna has sold the township on, then he admitted that she had a good idea at first but has “disappeared” and that the deal is basically dead. He didn’t seem to care, as he probably got his paycheck a long time ago.
I have e-mailed Bill Park several times over the past month, but have not heard anything back. He is getting slammed in editorials in the newspapers for failing to act on the Westmont.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to start a grass-roots campaign to get the township to do something with this property? Perhaps if there was enough negative publicity, the politicians would do something.
Hi, I’m new to CT, but I have some interesting news to share. I met Haddon Twp. mayor Bill Park at a street fair last month and talked to him about the Westmont Theater and the two vacant buildings next door to it.
I am a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Camden, and we are discussing opening a “ReStore” in the Camden County area (see Habitat’s website for more info on this). I thought the Westmont Theater would be a great location for such a venture. Habitat could rehab the building and could keep the structure as much intact as possible. Of course, the seats would need to be removed, but at least this beautiful structure would not be torn down or turned into a drugstore.
Bill told me that Joanna Pang owned the theater, which of course, is not true. The township owns it and is responsible for its maintenance. He said that the Erdman roofing building and brown shingle house are slated for demolition, but he couldn’t say when.
Today at a meeting at HFH in Camden, I met the man who put the Joanna Pang deal together. He is a former board member of HFH.
He was at first offended when I mentioned the pipe dream that Joanna has sold the township on, then he admitted that she had a good idea at first but has “disappeared” and that the deal is basically dead. He didn’t seem to care, as he probably got his paycheck a long time ago.
I have e-mailed Bill Park several times over the past month, but have not heard anything back. He is getting slammed in editorials in the newspapers for failing to act on the Westmont.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to start a grass-roots campaign to get the township to do something with this property? Perhaps if there was enough negative publicity, the politicians would do something.