Abandoned College To Get Demolished After Burlington Co. Government Buys Campus

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP, NJ — The long-vacant property that was once home to Burlington County College's first standalone campus could get new life.

The Burlington County Commissioners reached an agreement with Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) to purchase the former Pemberton Campus for $1 million. As part of the agreement, the county will demolish the vacant buildings on the 225-acre property, which have fallen into disrepair.

Burlington County College, now RCBC, opened the Pemberton Campus in 1971. But it was phased out decades later, when the college's board of trustees found the Pemberton location's necessary repairs cost more than $50 million.

The study also found that most of the college's students preferred to attend class at the Mount Laurel location, which opened in 1995 and is now RCBC's main campus.

The Pemberton Campus's last class was in 2017, and the buildings have been largely vacant and vandalized since.

Finding a suitable buyer has been a challenge for RCBC. But on Dec. 27, the county commissioners voted to move forward with purchasing the property.

The final sale price was considered fair market value, says County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson.

"With the property now under county control, we will start demolition work and maintenance of the property so it is no longer an eyesore and attractive nuisance," Hopson said in a statement.

The campus property is on Pemberton-Browns Mills Road and borders the Rancocas Creek.

County officials don't have immediate plans for the property after the remaining buildings get demolished. But they're open to different possibilities.

"This was a beautiful property and our intent is for it to once again become an asset for Pemberton and the entire county," Hopson said.