Soup’s on: Camden to seize Sears for Campbell’s

A Superior Court judge ruled today the City of Camden can move forward with efforts to seize the Sears building using eminent domain, handing a win to city officials and the Campbell Soup Co.

City activist Frank Fulbrook sued the city and Campbell's last year in an effort to preserve the building, which dates to the 1920s, when Sears, Roebuck & Co. opened the store on Admiral Wilson Boulevard.

Campbell's plans to bulldoze the building to make way for a new office park, to be anchored by a recent $93 million expansion of its corporate offices. The company had threatened in the past to leave the struggling city if the building was not demolished.

The current owner, Cherry Hill businessman Ilan Zaken, has rebuffed offers from Campbell's to buy the building.

Fulbrook said he will appeal the judge's decision.