Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia proposes pediatric campus at former AMC on Sloan Avenue

Hamilton Township Council moved forward with a redevelopment plan on Tuesday that clears the way for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to redevelop the vacant AMC movie-theater site at 325 Sloan Avenue into a pediatric care campus. Council closed public comment, advanced Ordinance 26-004 toward adoption and heard detailed presentations from CHOP representatives and the township’s planning consultant.

CHOP’s development consultant, Trevor Taylor of CME Associates, told the council the plan focuses on design standards, permitted uses and landscaping for a world-class pediatric facility and noted that the plan does not require acquisition or relocation of nearby properties. “So tonight, we're requesting that the redevelopment plan be adopted,” Taylor said, describing the site as Block 1603, Lot 15.01 and noting the planning board’s unanimous finding of consistency with the township master plan.

Township Director Fred Dumas introduced CHOP’s team and highlighted the project’s expected local economic benefits. “You have a small piece in bringing this to Hamilton and all this we're gonna accomplish together for our children and our grandchildren,” Dumas said.

David Contreaux, a CHOP representative, said CHOP chose the site for its visibility, transit access and surrounding open space and outlined an aggressive near-term demolition schedule: first responders are already using the vacant theater for training and CHOP expects to begin demolition in March with the goal of removing the building by fall. “We're looking to have that building down sometime before the end of the calendar year, probably in the fall,” Contreaux said.

CHOP confirmed preconstruction work is underway and said Bach Construction — the contractor selected for demolition — informed CHOP it will use local union labor. “That contractor… will be using a 100% local union labor on the project,” CHOP's presenter said, and CHOP's construction permit is being prepared for signature.

Natalie Haggerty, CHOP’s assistant vice president for planning, design and integration, described the clinical services the campus would bring to Central Jersey. She said CHOP aims to provide higher-level specialty care locally — citing oncology services and on-site chemotherapy as examples — so that families do not routinely have to travel to Philadelphia for inpatient treatment. “We are looking to put chemotherapy here,” Haggerty said, adding that parking and family-centered design were important site considerations.

Council members asked about timing, workforce and wetlands impacts; CHOP’s team said the project uses the existing impervious footprint, will not require resident relocation, and will proceed to site-plan review before final approvals. The planning-board review (recorded as conducted Jan. 22) found the redevelopment plan consistent with the master plan, a point repeated during the presentation.

Next steps identified at the meeting are CHOP’s submission of a site plan to the planning board and follow-on agency approvals; CHOP representatives and township staff estimated outside-agency review and permitting could take several months, with full approvals potentially taking 6–12 months after planning-board review. The council’s formal adoption of the redevelopment plan clears a key regulatory step but does not yet approve detailed site plans or construction phases.