Pennsauken’s New Municipal and Library Building Rises Ahead of Summer 2025 Opening

Development of a Pennsauken Township building to house their Municipal Offices and Library is progressing quickly. The large three-story building is rising at the back of the Township’s 10-acre municipal complex property located at Crescent Blvd (Route 130) and Merchantville Ave.

The 53,000sf building will feature a two-story segment on the left side for the Pennsauken Municipal offices, and a three story segment on the right side will be the library.

The library portion will include a tall interior two story atrium-like open space (which can be seen in some of the drone images here, and renderings). Parking will accommodate 150 spaces.

The municipal building aspects will support offices for administration, tax assessor and collector, building departments, finance department and a larger Mayor and Board/Commission meeting room. The meeting room will offer more seating space to accommodate residents wanting to attend meetings.

The library will take up 70% of the new building. The new library will of course feature books and resource materials, but also to meet today’s modern library needs it will include a Cultural Resource Center, Education Program Rooms, Technology Offerings and more.

Township administrator Tim Killion says the new development will be a huge resource and benefit for Pennsauken residents. All aspects of Township Municipal business will be more accessible and easier for residents. A true modern townhall that residents will be proud off!

The building is expected to be completed in June 2025 when both Municipal Office and Library functionalities relocate into the space.

Pennsauken’s new Library will feature a two-story open space with mezzanine

Soon after the library moves into the new facility, demolition of the existing older library building will take place. That former library area will support additional parking for the new building, as well as outdoor community spaces. That demolition of the old library (and work to repurpose) is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2025.

An inclusive “Jake’s Playground” will also be developed on the property, closer to Merchantville Ave. In my conversation yesterday with Administrator Tim, he shared with me that the family who started the Jake’s Playground initiative is from Pennsauken… and the Township has made having their own inclusive playground in the community a top goal.

Additionally, a walking path will be developed around the entire complex.

Larger township meeting room is coming for Pennsauken.

The construction cost for the total building project is $27.5 million, of which $9.3 million comes from a grant under the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act. Pennsauken Township will be responsible for the remaining costs.

Jake’s Playground construction includes funding from a $702,000 grant from the State of New Jersey.

Open, Bright and Attractive Community Spaces – Pennsauken Library

Still remaining (for a short while at least) at the Township complex would be the original municipal building which opened in 1958.

I chatted with Township administrator Tim Killion yesterday who tells me that the initial goal for that prime corner property (where the current Municipal Building is located) is for redevelopment into a multi-use “village like” complex. There are no formal plans for the redevelopment aspect at this time.

The entire development effort will be a significant transformation to the property, which also previously was home to the large Central School which was located along Merchantville Ave. The school building was demolished about 12 years ago. A portion of the former school area will be used as water management basin for the new municipal building complex.

New Construction in the rear will replace the Pennsauken Municipal Building (front) and Library (right)

With the three large older buildings gone and the modern municipal building and library… As well as an expected future redevelopment at the corner… Pennsauken Township leaders and residents believe these collective projects will be a source of pride for many generations of Pennsauken residents.

And if all that weren’t enough, Pennsauken Township is also moving forward on a large Community Center project in another part of town, which will offer indoor and outdoor options for residents including indoor basketball, pickleball and volleyball courts. That project is expected to be bid it out by the end of the year. I’ll have more on that at a later date.

Administrator Tim provided renderings of the upcoming Pennsauken Municipal/Library building, as well as the interiors.

Absolutely the new building will be an attractive and modern space for Pennsauken residents to both conduct municipal business and utilize the community aspects.

Larger areas are available for community spaces. One example is, in unofficial count of the chairs in the Township’s main meeting room shows seating for at least 150 people.

But what really comes through in the images is that everything has “space”. It’s not cramped.

Hallways are wider. Designated waiting areas with chairs are available. Community spaces are more open and offer more options to either be collaborative with other residents… or maybe just a little more quiet if you choose.

This is in stark contrast to the existing buildings which are being replaced!

I found a Courier-Post article from July 1958 which described the features of the then all new $230,000 municipal building.

In 1958 one of the big features was that the then new Municipal Building had dedicated women’s restrooms! They also called out that the building offered air conditioning and areas for lounging within its baby pink and pastel colorings!

Today while the “classic” Pennsauken Municipal building has internet and mostly changed color scheme… it seems basically the same building that was developed 70 years ago. The expectation is the new development will be good for at least another 70 years into the future… and beyond!