CAMDEN, NJ – Mayor Victor Carstarphen, Camden County Board of Commissioners, City Council President Angel Fuentes & Council Members, the City of Camden Urban Enterprise Zone, Camden Special Services District/Camden Business Improvement District Board Members, Saint Joseph's Carpenter Society, and Norie’s Lunchbox will announce available grant funding for Camden based small businesses. To celebrate, a ribbon-cutting and a press event will be held on Friday, August 11, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at Norie’s Lunchbox, located in Downtown Camden (39 North Fourth Street, Camden, New Jersey 08102). 

The Camden Special Services District, acting as the District Management Corporation for the Camden Business Improvement District, will announce that the first Downtown Improvement Matching Grant has been dispersed to restaurant Norie’s Lunchbox, located at 39 N. Fourth Street in Downtown Camden. The $25,000 in matching grant funds were utilized to install a commercial kitchen and hood system, allowing them to transition from a popular food truck to a new brick and mortar location. The Downtown Improvement Matching Grant Program is a matching grant program available to small businesses and non-profit organizations within the boundaries of the Camden Business Improvement District.

Included within the Downtown Improvement Matching Grant program are two options for potential recipients - Catalyst Grants and Micro Grants. The Catalyst Grant Program will provide a matching grant of up to 50% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) per applicant. For smaller projects, the Micro Grant Program will provide a matching grant of up to 75% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) per applicant.

The Camden UEZ – Camden Strong Facade Program, aims to enhance the visual appearance of commercial corridors citywide. This City of Camden program offers assistance of up to $50,000 for exterior improvements to a commercial building within the boundaries of the City UEZ. This is a matching fund program with a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $25,000 to be provided by the participant. The city program will then match the amount the participant provides. Camden based non-profit, Saint Joseph’s Carpenter Society (SJCS) is working with the City of Camden’s Urban Enterprise Zone to administer the program.

Both programs are designed to stimulate new investment, enhance business and development opportunities, and to attract new customers to Camden. The programs are also designed to provide an economic incentive for improving the appearance of the facades of buildings within the CBID and Camden UEZ boundaries, to encourage quality renovation that will enhance, beautify, and highlight the architectural character reflected in the original design of the buildings,

The goal is to enhance the overall quality of the streetscape, assist small businesses in making storefronts more appealing to customers, and to generally encourage investment citywide. While both programs are not a substitute for conventional financing, they can fill the gaps in existing local financial markets and attract additional capital, which would otherwise not be available for economic development.

To learn more and to apply for the CSSD Downtown Improvement Matching Grant Program, head to www.mydowntowncamden.com/for-small-businesses/ or contact the CSSD/CBID directly at camdenbid@camdenssd.com.

For more information and to apply for the City of Camden UEZ - Camden Strong Facade Program, visit: www.ci.camden.nj.us/uez-facade-program or contact Ruben Peres with Saint Joseph’s Carpenter Society via email: rperes@sjcscamden.org or phone: 856-966-8117.

About Norie’s Lunchbox 

Norie’s Lunchbox, the longtime Camden small business, which started as a food cart and grew into a food truck, is now a brick and mortar featuring unique cheesesteaks and loaded nachos. Norie's Lunchbox is located at 39 N. 4th Street, and it is open every day from 12pm to 2am, Monday to Saturday, and from 12pm to 7pm on Sundays. Owner/operator Janora “Norie” Carter, a former area hospital employee, upgraded from a food cart to a full-size food truck to now a full-service brick and mortar location.

About the Camden Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Program

New Jersey’s Urban Enterprise (UEZ) Authority (enacted in 1983), aims to foster an economic climate that revitalizes designated urban communities and stimulates their growth by encouraging businesses to develop and create private sector jobs through public and private investment. The UEZ Program offers participating businesses incentives to encourage business growth and stimulate local economies. Over 6,700 certified UEZ businesses participate and benefit from the program’s advantages. Certified commercial businesses within the City of Camden UEZ boundary can benefit from UEZ incentives. With every dollar spent at eligible Camden UEZ businesses, 3.3125% of the sales tax collected is invested back into the local community. These reinvestment projects may include; business loans, facade grants, support for municipal community events, business recruitment and retention initiatives. For more information, visit www.ci.camden.nj.us/uez

About the Camden Special Services District and Camden Business Improvement District

CSSD serves as the District Management Corporation for Camden Business Improvement District (CBID). The CBID has a broad scope including cleaning, landscape enhancements, placemaking and marketing to support the Downtown business community. The CBID is funded through a special assessment as governed under N.J.S.A. 40:56-65. CSSD collaborates with key institutions, businesses, corporations, community stakeholders and neighborhood groups in various capacities for a common purpose: to make Camden a beautiful vibrant city and a better place to live, work, visit and do business. To learn more, visit www.mydowntowncamden.com.

WHAT: Announcing UEZ & CSSD grants to Camden businesses for building improvements

WHEN: Friday, August 11, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Norie’s Lunchbox, located in Downtown Camden

(39 North Fourth Street, Camden, New Jersey 08102)