Cape May County Chamber of Commerce members and other officials cut the ceremonial ribbon for the renovated headquarters. (Photo courtesy of Martin Fiedler)
The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its revitalized and renovated headquarters on Friday.
The Chamber’s Board of Directors, the Capital Campaign Committee, the Board of Trustees, Cape May County Commissioners, Commissioner Director Gerald Thornton and Assemblyman Antwan McClellan celebrated the redesign and rebuild of the Chamber’s headquarters, according to a news release.
In the spring of 2021, the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce began the renovation and revitalization of the offices in Cape May Court House.
The Chamber moved its executive offices to this location in June 1973 after outgrowing several temporary offices.
For the last 48 years, it doubled as the official Welcome Center for Cape May County, assisting thousands of visitors throughout the year.
“Our goal for the restoration was always to better serve our thriving regional businesses and Cape May County’s tourism community, as the center for business and economic development, and to reflect the energy and spirit of the Chamber,” said Amy Mahon, Cape May County chairwoman of the board.
Three key themes were highlighted throughout the reconstruction process. There was the preservation of the building’s distinctive exterior architecture. The transformation of the interior to reflect a more modern and vibrant space – and the modernization of the conference and office space to meet the needs and expectations of the business community.
The newly renovated space includes a redesigned lobby with a staffed, digital information center for promoting tourism, three modern conference rooms with digital technology, four administrative offices, a refreshment center, and a multi-purpose room, which can function as a break room, meeting room and storage area.
The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors officially launched a major capital campaign in October, dubbed Building for a Lasting Future.
“For the Chamber to continue to serve as a dedicated advocate for the Cape May County business community and to help ensure its members grow, thrive, and prosper into the future, it was vital for this campaign to succeed,” said Vicki Clark, Chamber president. “And we believe it will.”
Commissioner Director Gerald Thorton said, “The Chamber has done amazing things this past year. What a better way to celebrate as 2021 comes to a close. I’m honored to be part of this amazing group of people doing big things for our community.”
The goal for the campaign is $500,000, which will allow the Chamber to help meet the increased need for larger meeting spaces, better networking opportunities, staff efficiency, and visitor information that reflects "the county’s breathtaking natural beauty, lovely small towns, distinctive dining, high energy entertainment and rich history," according to the release.
