{"id":691,"date":"2008-11-03T10:12:38","date_gmt":"2008-11-03T14:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/news\/?p=691"},"modified":"2010-05-13T10:17:49","modified_gmt":"2010-05-13T14:17:49","slug":"cooper-commons-park-to-become-new-community-living-room-for-cooper-plaza-neighborhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/news\/2008\/11\/cooper-commons-park-to-become-new-community-living-room-for-cooper-plaza-neighborhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooper Commons Park to Become New ‘Community Living Room’ for Cooper Plaza Neighborhood"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>(Camden, New Jersey) Sixty Camden children filled the tents at Cooper Commons Park at what will become the new \u201ccommunity living room\u201d for the Cooper Plaza neighborhood. Community partners, including representatives from Cooper University Hospital, Camden County, the City of Camden, Cooper Lanning Civic Association, The Reinvestment Fund, and local elected officials, dug the first hole in the park which is scheduled to be completed in summer 2009.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cooper University Hospital Board of Trustees made a commitment to create a Health Sciences Campus and Neighborhood,\u201d said George E. Norcross, III, Cooper Board Chairman. \u201cWe said that this neighborhood deserved not only excellent health services and access to good jobs, but also safe streets, greenery and trees, nice sidewalks, quality housing opportunities – and places for kids to play and for senior citizens to stroll on a nice Fall day. With the support of our community partnerships, we are seeing the results of this commitment to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The park will include a fenced tot lot with five pieces of play equipment and a soft ground surface; a 100-foot wide green lawn; a small amphitheatre area with a brick plaza and grassy terrace steps; and a fountain sprinkler for children to use in hot summer months. The park will be filled with groves of trees and bushes, with more than 20 benches inside and around the perimeter of the park.<\/p>\n

Surrounding sidewalks will be all brick, complementing the historic neighborhood. The park is fully handicapped-accessible, and includes 16 residential parking spaces on its north end. More than 20 overhead lights in and surrounding the park will make it safe at all hours.<\/p>\n

The park was designed with the Cooper Lanning Civic Association, working with landscape architect Alan Goodheart.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled that Cooper Commons Park will now include a tot lot that our young children at the daycare will enjoy throughout the year,\u201d said Mukit Wali, Executive Director of Kids World Child Development Center, located across from the park. \u201cWe applaud the investment and commitment by all members and look forward to the future sounds of laughter and smiles on the faces of young children and toddlers.”<\/p>\n

Cooper University Hospital, the anchor institution of Cooper Plaza, will perform all maintenance of the park for 20 years. The County of Camden is fully funding the construction of this park and the 7th Street median park, a $1.5 million total project.<\/p>\n

Many other community partners play an integral role in making the park possible.<\/p>\n