After setback South Jersey shore town building new Jakes Place playground

The first public figure to make playgrounds safe for children to enjoy outdoor activities was United States President Theodore Roosevelt. The popular US President was a big advocate of outdoor activities, and the Playground Association of America was established as a result of President Roosevelt's initiatives.

Over the last 120 years, Public Playgrounds have evolved from just swings and seesaws to having a variety of fun options for children to enjoy. With more and more government funding involved in the building and maintenance of playgrounds, there has been more scrutiny given to playground safety in recent decades.

In 2018, New Jersey signed legislation to make Jake's Law a reality. Named after Jake Cummings-Nasto, a young child whose family and doctors who used inclusive playgrounds for occupational and physical therapy.

NJ now gives communities incentives to build playgrounds that have various equipment for children who have physical and sensory needs along with family-friendly restroom accessibility.

The Latest NJ Town Building a Jake's Place Playground is in South Jersey

After receiving a $750,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Stone Harbor is moving forward with a new all-inclusive playground. This will be the second contemporary playground built on the island in the last couple of years.

Back in 2024, Stone Harbor removed all equipment from the 97th Street and 82nd Street playgrounds. Decades of salt air damage resulted in safety concerns, prompting the Coastal Community to upgrade the playgrounds.

The 97th Street playground was rebuilt in 2025 thanks to an open spaces grant from Cape May County. But there was still the void where the 82nd Street playground use to stand, and that is where the grant from NJ Department of Environmental Protection came into the picture.

Stone Harbor rejected the first round of bids for the project on February 3rd. The initial contractors were proposing projects that were hundreds of thousands above the $750,000 grant the shore town received to build the Jake's Place Playground.

At the March 3rd Borough Council Meeting, Stone Harbor officials approved a contract with Fred M. Schiavone Construction of Malaga. Mayor Tim Carney says the hope is the new playground will be open in time for Memorial Day Weekend.