Garden State Times

On Thursday, Commissioner Jeffrey Nash joined the Camden County Parks Department to unveil a softball field at Cooper River Park. The project is part of Parks Alive 2025, a $100 million plan to revitalize the county’s 24 parks, conservation areas, and waterways.

“Cooper River Park is one of our most utilized parks in Camden County, so we are excited to be revitalizing and rebuilding its amenities,” said Commissioner Jeffrey Nash, liaison to the Camden County Parks Department. “We have worked hard to transform this area into a space for everyone to enjoy and we can’t wait to welcome our residents and visitors to the field.”

Work on this $1 million project included building a new reoriented softball field, installing fencing, bleachers, and water fountains, and improving the parking lot.

Cooper River Park, planned and engineered more than 100 years ago by Charles Levitt, encompasses 346 acres through Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Collingswood, and Haddon Township. In addition to the playground, the park’s amenities include: the Camden County Boathouse, pavilions, a softball field, a cross-country course, the Camden County Golf Academy, the Cooper River Yacht Club, two bike trails, Jack Curtis Stadium, a track, picnic areas, a bocce court and more. As a tri-state destination, Cooper River Park was named a Great Place in New Jersey by the American Planning Association-New Jersey Chapter (APA-NJ). In addition, it is home to the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, the largest high school and college rowing competition in the nation.

Over the last two years, several projects under the umbrella of Parks Alive 2025 have broken ground and been completed. This includes the $1.2 million makeover of Jack Curtis Stadium in Cooper River Park; the development of the LINK Trail—a proposed 34-mile regional trail that will stretch from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to the south end of Winslow Township; and construction of a brand-new dog park in Cooper River Park. Most recently, Commissioners announced three projects to improve William G. Rohrer Playground in Cooper River Park as well as Newton Lake and Haddon Creek playgrounds in Newton Lake Park.