The vision of developing an amphitheater at Monroe’s Owens Memorial Park is gaining momentum with the recent award of $1.3 million from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program.
“We are appreciative of this Green Acres award – the second one we have received in two years – and very pleased that our application was so favorably received,” said Monroe Mayor Greg Wolfe. “This funding will allow us to expand passive recreational opportunities for our residents, something suggested by a number of people who responded to the online survey we developed and posted as part of the required public engagement component of the Green Acres application.”
Created in 1961 to meet New Jersey’s growing recreation and conservation needs, the Green Acres Program has directly protected more than 1.5 million acres of the state’s open space and provided hundreds of community recreational facilities.
“Under this Green Acres award, the township will be turning a piece of currently unused land at the park into a community gathering place to enjoy open-air music, theater, live performances and more,” Wolfe explained. “As part of this project, we also anticipate the construction of an approximately 4,600-square-foot yard parking lot with ADA (American with Disabilities Act)-compliant parking spaces to maximize the facility’s accessibility to people of all abilities.”
The mayor has previously said the project would be similar to the amphitheater at Washington Lake Park in Washington Township.
“This project would allow Monroe Township to host a wide variety of events and allow residents to come together throughout the year and simply have some fun,” Wolfe said.
Monroe got a $750,000 Green Acres grant last year for the development of an all-inclusive playground at Pfeiffer Community Center, a project also moving forward. On July 6, the township applied to the New Jersey Pinelands Commission to permit demolition of a structure 50 years or older, construction of the Jake’s Place Playground, two additional basketball courts and a parking area at community center.
The township’s successful 2024 and 2025 applications were written by Triad Associates of Vineland, a community and economic development firm that has secured more than $1.7 billion in funding for its clients over the past 46 years.
“Monroe Township has long been committed to providing quality open space and recreational facilities for residents and visitors alike,” Wolfe noted. “This latest award is a continuation of that commitment.”
