Facility Upgrades at Memorial Park Ready to be Unveiled

Cinnaminson will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday to christen the new bathrooms/concession stand at Memorial Park.

The upgraded facility has been under construction for the last several months. Committeeman Don Brauckmann, director of parks and recreation, said the project is being funded with a pair of county grants totaling approximately $320,000.

The improvements were necessary, he explained, because park users have been dealing with an "outdated, dilapidated facility" for years. Memorial Park's restrooms were built sometime in the '70s or early '80s, Brauckmann said. Memorial—one of the township's two "anchor" parks, the other being Wood—is Cinnaminson's largest park.

"You hear from residents all the time—and I agree with them—that parks need restroom facilities," he said. By improving those facilities "it makes our parks more accommodating ... which, in turn, makes your parks even more desirable for tournaments and other events."

The number of sports programs offered by the township, as well as those that use township parks—both in-town and out-of-town—has expanded greatly in the last several years, Brauckmann said, which made the upgrades even more imperative.

"It's a major part of what makes a town a town, is your parks system," he said, adding, "I'm really pleased with the finished product."

He said the township had strived to complete the improvements in time for the youth soccer tournament this weekend. 

The brief ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Friday. Burlington County Freeholder Director Joe Donnelly, a Cinnaminson resident and former township committeeman, will be in attendance.

Cinnaminson unveiled the upgraded restrooms/concession stand at Wood Park in 2011. Brauckmann said the township's smaller parks—Garfield, Fountain Farms, Ravenswood, Extension and East Riverton—are next on the list for improvements.

"I don't want our residents to think we're not paying attention to the smaller parks," he said.