It’s a far cry from his current headquarters near the “prominent Cherry Hill location of The Inn of the Dove,” said real estate developer Brad Ingerman, but when it’s completed—sometime in the next year or so—the new digs in Collingswood should do just fine.

The President and CEO of the Ingerman Group, which is handling the final two phases of the LumberYard redevelopment, told a crowd of media and supporters Wednesday afternoon that the project will be the 86th the company has undertaken, and promised it will be “as good if not better than anything we’ve done to date.”

Ingerman spoke of his desire to be “contributing to the vibrancy of this little town.” He invoked “the pride of Collingswood” as a key determinant in the success of The LumberYard, and hastened to put his company’s stamp on the new construction, which he christened “The Collings at The LumberYard.” 

“We believe in the vast potential of Collingswood and its great access to transportation,” Ingerman said, and the new marketing theme for the property followed: “Access your everything.”

‘The full Collingswood experience’

Battling a sore throat, Collingswood Mayor James Maley joked with the crowd that the condition of his voice “really represents the status of the soul of Collingswood to get us to this point."

Maley underscored that coordinating an economic development project “in horrible economic times” was not what he’d expected of his career in civil service. He also acknowledged the hardship under which the protracted timeline had placed current LumberYard residents.

“The folks who are living here, it’s not always been happy times,” Maley said, but added that residents adjusted to the changes of the process admirably. When the work is finally through, he said, “They’re going to get the full Collingswood experience.”

Maley wasn't the only elected official to take the podium: New Jersey State Senator James Beach and Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Capelli Jr. also offered remarks.

Cappelli, a Collingswood resident and borough commissioner at the outset of the project, said its completion is testament to a singular community vision.

Across South Jersey, “There are municipalities dying to put together redevelopment projects” but which don’t have the resources or leadership to undertake them, Cappelli said.

'A complete lifestyle experience'

An Ingerman press release touting the amenities of the construction project described the facility as “a complete lifestyle experience” that is “further enhanced by the community’s strategic location just steps from the PATCO station.”

With floor plans ranging from 900 to nearly 2,000 square feet, and including hardwood flooring, granite-countertop kitchens, and full-size laundry machines, Ingerman is hoping its new construction will deliver on that promise.

The first phase of the project involves completing the back building of the LumberYard townhouses, and will add 34 one-, two- and three-bedroom units. It should be completed by spring 2013.

The second phase will add 70 apartments in addition to the Ingerman headquarters and one 1,500-square-foot retail space.

Click here to read archived coverage of The LumberYard redevelopment project on Collingswood Patch.