When crews dug out the ground for the Locke Avenue Park expansion, they hit a concrete vault more than 15 feet long, about 10 feet wide and 8 feet deep. Nobody knew what it was at first. Woolwich Mayor Natalie Matthias told the crowd at the September 8 ribbon cutting that it turned out to be the pit under the truck scales for the PMC Cannery, a tomato processing plant that stood on that same ground starting in 1946.
That cannery site is now a lit trail, four lit fields and a pavilion with a restroom. The timing matters for anyone in Swedesboro or Woolwich who plans their exercise around daylight. The expansion opened in September, and daylight saving time ends Sunday, November 1. Most of its first season will be spent in the short-day months, and much of what was built is meant for exactly that.
How a cannery lot became a park
The project took nearly a decade. The mayor laid out the history at the ceremony, and local reporting fills in the funding.
- 1946: The PMC Cannery operates a large tomato processing plant on the site.
- After the cannery closes: The township buys the land and the building.
- The derecho: Straight-line winds bring the old building down. Public Works and Parks and Recreation had equipment stored inside, and all of it was lost.
- 2017: Clearing the site leads to the start of planning for the park expansion.
- March 2020: NJ.com reports a $500,000 New Jersey Green Acres loan toward the expansion. That was one piece of the funding, not the full cost.
- June 2026: New Town Press runs drone photos of new fields waiting for grass to grow in and gives a tentative mid-September opening.
- September 8, 2026: Ribbon cutting at the new picnic pavilion.
At the ceremony, Matthias thanked Bob Hunter of RVE Engineers for the design work and Windham Construction for building it. She also thanked Bruce Beckloff of New Jersey Green Acres. Speaking for the DEP and Green Acres, Beckloff said the state's contribution was "only a portion" of the total.
Built with the lights in mind
Read the township's list of what the expansion includes and lighting comes up again and again. The ribbon-cutting flyer lists "LED athletic field lighting for expanded usage of the fields" right next to the new pavilion and parking. The township's video description says the two new softball fields have lights and temporary pitching mounds, so youth baseball can use them too. Two more multipurpose fields with LED lights cover soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and other sports.
The trail has lights too. "There's a 1.2 mile walking trail lit with solar lights, which somebody told me is on even in the shaded areas, which is great to know," Matthias said at the ceremony.
One caution before you plan a walk after work. Lights on a path are not the same as permission to be there after dark. As of this writing, the township's Parks & Recreation page has links to park forms and maps but doesn't list general park hours. It also doesn't say whether evening walking is allowed or what the rules are for dogs and bikes on the trail. If you want to keep up a dusk routine once the clocks change on November 1, call the municipal building at 856-467-2666 first.
What's out there now
The older part of Locke Avenue Park already had play equipment, soccer and baseball fields, a walking and jogging trail, a concession stand and public bathrooms. The expansion adds the following on top of that.
| Feature | What the township and local reporting describe |
|---|---|
| Address and entrance | 58 Locke Ave, with the ceremony crowd told to use the North Entrance off Locke Ave |
| New access | A new entrance on Locke Avenue |
| Trail | A 1.2-mile multiuse trail with solar lights that circles the property |
| Ball fields | Two lighted softball fields that convert to baseball |
| Multipurpose fields | Two LED-lit fields for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey |
| Gathering space | A picnic pavilion connected to a restroom building |
| Parking and bikes | Four paved parking areas, plus bike racks |
| Extras | Practice areas and space for pop-up practices |
The flyer gives 34 acres of dedicated open space. The township's video description says the project added 35. The two figures may be counting different things, so "about 34 or 35 acres" is the safest way to describe it.
The first program on the calendar is in the morning
The lights point to evenings, but the first recurring program the township has scheduled at the park is an early-morning walk. Woolwich's new Health and Wellness Committee, formed in July 2026, is starting Wednesday Walks With the Mayor. Matthias will lead the walks.
- First walk: A Gratitude Walk on Wednesday, November 4, at 8 a.m. at Locke Avenue Park.
- After that: The first Wednesday of every month at 8 a.m., same park.
- Before it starts: The Woolwich Township Health and Wellness Fair runs Sunday, October 25, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 120 Village Green Drive.
- In December: A virtual Healthy Holidays program covering nutrition, activity, stress, sleep and keeping habits through a busy season.
"These programs are designed to give residents practical, accessible ways to improve their health while connecting with neighbors," committee chair Dr. Pavani Gunda told New Town Press.
Sharing the park with game nights
For many Swedesboro families, Locke Avenue already means youth sports. New Town Press noted this spring that all organized sports in Woolwich are played at either Locke Avenue Park or High Hill Park, and the public can watch. The Swedesboro Woolwich Soccer Association's field page assigns fields K, for 11v11, and M, for 9v9, to "127 Locke Ave" for its Fall 2026 season. The page doesn't say whether those are the new lit fields. The township's youth league directory also lists the South Jersey Warriors with home fields at Locke Avenue Park.
If you're there for the trail, expect to share parking with practices and games. More lots should help. The four new paved areas were built for this kind of overlap, where someone walking laps and a team warming up both want a space near the pavilion.
Booking the pavilion
The township's video description says residents can reserve the new pavilion for birthday parties and other events. The 2026 pavilion use form asks you to complete it, sign it and return it to Woolwich Township, 120 Village Green Drive, Woolwich Twp., NJ 08085. A township designated employee sets the final schedule. The form lists no fee for private events, which fall under Category 7, and no fee for qualifying local organizations under Category 6. You'll need to sign a hold-harmless agreement. Where it applies, you'll also need proof of insurance naming the township as an additional insured. The township won't process a request until it has received and reviewed everything.
Since the pavilion has its own restroom building, it works for a cold-weather kids' party in a way a bare picnic grove doesn't.
Where the trail is supposed to lead
The planning-era descriptions go beyond the loop itself. This spring, New Town Press described the trail expansion as connecting to High Hill Park by footbridge and to a path into Tranquility Trails. The township's video description says the new trail "links with existing trails, and extends toward Raccoon Creek." None of those descriptions spells out which connections are walkable today. Assume the 1.2-mile loop until you've walked the rest yourself.
Swedesboro's own waterside project is still in progress. At the August 17 council meeting, Mayor Tom Fromm said the Glen Echo Park project is still moving forward. Gloucester County wants a wider driveway onto Glen Echo Avenue, which is a county road, and formal easements with the property owners on each side. "It's nothing of great significance," Fromm said. "It's just more time and more money that we're spending on engineering and legal just to get it done." The plan is still a permanent pier and kayak launch, and Fromm said the borough "hopefully" will restore the boat launch too.
So for this fall, the lit walking option near the borough is on the old cannery ground off Locke Avenue. Matthias closed the ceremony with "This is the start, not the end," and said more is coming for Woolwich.
Parks, trails and projects like Glen Echo shape how a place works day to day, and I keep track of them the same way I track prices. If you have questions about what's being built around Swedesboro and Woolwich, or what a project on your street could mean for you, reach out to Shayden Feret. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
