Cherry Hill mayor joins push to save relic of Garden State Park racetrack
CHERRY HILL - Mayor David Fleisher has joined the push to preserve the last surviving building from an iconic racetrack here.
"I fully support the preservation of the gatehouse structure," Fleisher said in an email to Dan Cirucci, a township resident who launched a petition drive to save the Route 70 landmark.
"It’s been my priority since my first day as mayor to preserve our township’s history, and the gatehouse is an important symbol of that history," Fleisher said in his Feb. 26 email.
The mayor noted the planning board required the gatehouse to be preserved when it approved a proposed off-track betting facility at the site in 2020.
The OTB project has not materialized, and the 10-acre property was recently placed on the market for potential retail use.
"If a new owner emerges, they will hear loud and clear that the protection of the gatehouse must be part of their future plans," the mayor said.
The gatehouse is all that remains of a racetrack that once covered some 600 acres here.
The track and the gatehouse were built in 1942, making Cherry Hill — then known as Delaware Township — into the hub of South Jersey's entertainment scene.
A fire destroyed the original grandstands in 1977; a second track operated from 1985 to 2001.
Most of the former track has been developed with stores, restaurants and residences.
The owner of the gatehouse site, Penn Entertainment, has not responded to requests for information.
A realty firm marketing the parcel, CRBE, has not disclosed the asking price.
Cirucci's online petition has drawn more than 640 signatures.
It contends saving the gatehouse "is crucial for maintaining cultural continuity and educating future generations about their roots."
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: An online petition to save the Garden State Park gatehouse gains ally
