Gateway Park is a riverfront park in Camden and

Pennsauken Township Pennsauken Township is a township in Camden County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 37,074, reflecting an increase of 1,189 (+3.3%) from the 35,885 count ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

that runs along a half mile section of the Cooper River. It consists of a one-mile paved multi use trail for walking and casual biking. Future plans call for creation of a boat launch for paddled vessels such as canoes and kayaks. The trail is connected with the regional Circuit Trails initiative, a network of trails across multiple parks in the Greater Philadelphia region that connect southern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The park is a member of Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River which actively promotes the understanding and value of the Delaware River watershed. This is an

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...

that is part of the revitalization of the Camden waterfront. The tract was previously filled with derelict buildings and seedy establishments. Gateway Park is one of a number of parks in the Camden area that are contributing to the revitalization of the Camden waterfront which also includes the recently opened Cramer Hill Preserve, Petty's Island nature preserve and Coopers Poynt Waterfront park among others. Gateway Park is owned by Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) and is managed by New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

History

The area for Gateway Park was previously populated with gas stations, seedy bars, motels and illicit activity. In March 1999, New Jersey Governor

Christine Todd Whitman Christine Temple Whitman (née Todd; born September 26, 1946) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration o ...

announced the Gateway Project to clean up the blighted area and present a more appealing gateway to Camden and New Jersey. This was in preparation for the 2000 republican national convention in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and the anticipated flux of visitors who would be traveling past this location to their hotels in the suburbs. The

Delaware River Port Authority The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), officially the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a bi-state agency instrumentality created by a congressionally approved interstate compact between the governments of Penn ...

bought the land and removed the unsightly properties and planted grass and laid down an asphalt walking path. Although the park was established in 2000, the land remained vacant and closed due to environmental issues for about 11 years before pressure from local advocacy groups resulted in the Delaware River Port Authority cleaning up the area to ready it for the promised public park. Ownership of the land transferred from Delaware River Port Authority to Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) who in turn partnered with New Jersey Conservation Foundation to manage the park. Gateway Park opened to the public in March 2019.

References

{{Reflist Camden, New Jersey Pennsauken Township, New Jersey Parks in Camden County, New Jersey 2000 establishments in New Jersey 2019 establishments in New Jersey Buildings and structures completed in 2019