The New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Cultural Arts Facility Expansion (CAFE) program will help the Battleship New Jersey’s planned $24.25 expansion and improvement project, state officials said this week.
During a news conference aboard the 887-foot battleship on Wednesday, NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Evan Weiss and Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial CEO Marshall Spevak announced the project would be financed by up to $19.9 million in tax credits awarded through the NJEDA Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion (CAFE) Program.
The ship, now permanently berthed on Camden’s waterfront, is the most decorated battleship in U.S. Navy history. Launched from the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1942, the massive Iowa-class warship served in four major conflicts—World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf—earning a total of 19 battle and campaign stars.
Since opening as a museum in 2001, the Battleship New Jersey has preserved its naval history while serving as a cultural landmark and educational destination that attracts approximately 80,000 visitors annually.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a U.S. Navy veteran, said in a statement that the Battleship New Jersey was an “enduring testament to the service and sacrifice of generations of Americans.”
“This investment will preserve that legacy and strengthen one of New Jersey’s most treasured historic destinations,” Sherrill said. “It will also bring more visitors to Camden and create new activity along the waterfront, supporting the surrounding community.”
NJEDA initiatives like the CAFE Program leverage the economic potential of arts and culture projects to boost foot traffic in downtowns and main streets across New Jersey, supporting local small businesses, creating jobs, bolstering engagement with the arts, and strengthening the vibrancy of communities.
The Battleship New Jersey Redevelopment Project will include a new expanded visitor center on land that will include a lobby area, ticketing space, artifact displays, a small café and gift shop, landscaping improvements, and administrative support areas. Various security improvements and renovations will also be made to the ship, which was decommissioned in 1999 and is now owned and operated by the Home Port Alliance, a private nonprofit.
The nonprofit will be able to sell/transfer the NJEDA CAFE tax credits to secure financing for up to 100% of eligible project costs, not to exceed $19.9 million.
Construction is expected to begin in mid-2027 and be completed in 2029.
