Just before 2 a.m. this morning, and not without reservation, Cherry Hill's planning board endorsed a plan to turn part of the former Garden State Park racetrack into a "town center" upscale shops, bistros, apartments, condominiums, a large central park and recreational facilities.
Also dubbed a "lifestyle center" by the developer, Turnberry Cherry Hill LLC, the swath of the 223-acre tract would front Haddonfield Road and be perhaps the most crucial piece of the $500 million project that has the power to transform the last developable piece of land in the aging suburb.
The plan called for 205,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 40,000 feet of office space, and a 40,000-foot fitness facility and spa.
Some planning board members expressed reservations about this portion of the plan, however, saying they did not believe Cherry Hill needed more retail space in a town center.
