Monroe council revised its bid timeline to build an all-inclusive playground behind the Pfeiffer Community Center at a meeting on April 23.
A state-of-the-art, all-inclusive playground behind Monroe’s Pfeiffer Community Center is still in the works.
Township council, in the latest movement on the project, passed a resolution at its meeting on April 23 authorizing the advertisement and bidding of the project called Jake’s Place Playground with a revised bid timeline.
Council previously was unable to proceed with the original bid schedule – anticipated advertisement on Feb. 7, bid opening on Feb. 19 and contract award on Feb. 27 – “due to lack of necessary approvals from the New Jersey Pinelands Commission,” according to the resolution.
“It remains the intention of the township to complete the Jake’s Place Playground project in order to enhance recreational opportunities for the community, consistent with the scope, plans and specifications previously prepared by Remington & Vernick Engineers,” the resolution states.
The new advertisement and bid of the project will be 120 days from April 23. Reauthorization of the bid timeline “will allow the township to proceed promptly upon receipt of the required Pinelands approvals and any other agency clearance, thus aligning the procurement process with actual project readiness,” it states.
Resident Anthony Iovino, founder of Finn’s Friends, has been a leader in the effort to bring an all-inclusive playground to the township. He approached its officials, who’ve supported his vision. Finn’s Friends is an autism awareness nonprofit based in the township.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Mental Health, autism affects an estimated one in 36 children in the country.
One of the challenges has been playground funding. In 2024, the township was awarded $750,000 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program to create a Jake’s Law Playground.
“This money will allow us to develop an all-inclusive playground that will be completely accessible for residents and visitors of all ages and abilities, thus providing the public with the opportunity to engage in active recreation,” Mayor Greg Wolfe said at the time.
Build Jake’s Place (BJP) – a small, all-volunteer nonprofit in Pennsauken – has seen its slogan and goal of “playgrounds for every body” come true. Gov. Phil Murphy last year announced $40 million in Green Acres funding for all-inclusive playgrounds in 49 state locations.
That funding will be supplemented by a local contribution of $250,000. Private funds to assist with the maintenance and to carry out additional work that contributes to the playground’s long-term sustainability and utility are expected to come from Finn’s Friends.
