By Francis Sinatra, AAP Editor

Pennsauken’s Meadowbrook Park, located along Cooper Ave. across from Franklin Elementary School, is currently undergoing an impressive face lift, thanks to New Jersey’s Green Acres Program.

“There’s going to be something for all ages. It’s going to become a very active park,” says Elwood “Duke” Martz, director of Pennsauken Township’s Parks and Recreation Department. “You can make a family day out of it.”

According to Martz, there are two phases to the renovation of Meadowbrook Park. Phase I entails the repair and replacement of damaged playground equipment, as well as the expansion of the current “boundless” playground with new pieces that will be added to the current structure, enhancing the ability of those with special needs to play and interact with other able bodied children. The tennis court is being rebuilt from the ground up and a new beach volleyball court replaces the underused hockey rink. The current walking path will be repaired and repaved and the grounds will receive additional off-street parking for residents to better access the facility. Phase I is slated to be completed by the end of July.

Phase II, which should begin sometime in early fall, will include the construction of horseshoe pits, a shuffleboard court, and a 15’ x 15’ pavilion; also, the old snack bar by the Bow Wow Dog Park will be converted into restrooms that will be opened for specific park events. In addition, drainage will be installed by the large tree in the middle of Meadowbrook Park and the adjacent creek bed will be shored up per DEP guidelines to help alleviate flooding in the area.

The upgrade of Meadowbrook Park is made possible by a $350,000 Green Acres grant, with matching funds from Pennsauken Township. The Green Acres Program was created in 1961 to meet New Jersey’s growing recreation and conservation needs. Together with public and private partners, Green Acres has protected over half a million acres of open space and provided hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities in communities around the State.

Martz expressed his excitement about the project and spoke about the impact the newly renovated Meadowbrook Park will have on the community there. “The park services a very large area of town. We hope that our residents will take advantage of these great upgrades throughout the summer.”