Originally built in the 1960s, City Arena served the City of Camden for over 50 years as a primary recreation gymnasium and event location. In dire need of repairs, maintenance and overall improvement, the City of Camden chose to maximize the facility’s use to not only serve its core purpose of recreation but also host a wider variety of events. The City of Camden brought in Bobbitt Design Build to renovate the 27,300-square-foot arena on the corner of Broad and Bull streets.

“The City of Camden is excited to have the City Arena transformed into a year-round venue for tourism, recreational and community events, as well as an iconic gateway into the heart of downtown Camden,” said City Manager Mel Pearson.

To accent Camden’s colonial surroundings, Bobbitt built porte cochère, pilasters and other architectural features along with a new brick and stucco facade to reinstate the building’s grandeur. A drive-thru porte cochère and custom wood doors were added to the south end to create a grand entrance, which is visible as motorists enter the city on Broad Street. A new gable roof and columns were added to the existing north entrance and canopy to match the new south porte cochère. Bobbitt also made multiple interior improvements including new bathrooms, a catering kitchen, conference room and office space. Bobbitt cut and installed new overhead door openings to accommodate large-scale events such as boat and car shows.

To implement the city’s vision for the project, Bobbitt coordinated with the architect and structural engineer to find ways to attach and construct exterior aesthetic elements to the 1960s pre-engineered metal building in an economical way.