Vineland Developmental Center Moves Closer to Demolition

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The Vineland Developmental Center's former West Campus is a step closer to demolition, as city officials plan to seek contractors in the next few months to raze the site and turn it into a roughly 60-acre industrial park. Vineland council members are also requesting $2.7 million from the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority to pay for the demolition and infrastructure construction.

Why it matters

The demolition of the Vineland Developmental Center's West Campus would clear the way for the creation of a new industrial park, which Vineland officials say is needed to address a long-standing shortage of developable land in the city. The project is expected to bring new economic opportunities and jobs to the area.

The details

The West Campus of the Vineland Developmental Center has 17 buildings and a small cemetery for patients. The state began accumulating land for the campus in the 1920s, but the West Campus was closed in 2013. Vineland officials plan to divide the roughly 60-acre site into six to nine individual lots for the new industrial park. The city has already secured a $3 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to build water and sewer infrastructure at the site.

• The Vineland council approved submitting a grant application to the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority on February 10, 2026.
• Vineland officials expect the first phase of demolition to go out to bid in March or April 2026.

What they’re saying

What’s next

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