The journey of a historic piece of land in Marlboro Township has now entered its final chapter - from a psychiatric hospital to a bike trail.

The land that once housed patients is now under the control of the Monmouth County Parks System for everyone to enjoy.  

“This is pristine land, and it will forever be preserved for open space,” said Marlboro Township Mayor Jonathan Hornik.  

In a time when new construction often replaces open space, nothing will ever be built on the 411-acre property again.  

“How much is this worth? Hundreds of millions of dollars. Every developer in the country would come here and try to develop it,” said Hornik.  

But that’s not going to happen. Located opposite Big Brook Park on Route 520 in Marlboro, Mother Nature has reclaimed the former psychiatric hospital grounds since it closed in 1998. The last building was taken down and removed a decade ago.  

“You were here when the hospital was still operating. Yes, I was, yes. It’s getting harder and harder to do bike riding, so this is a beautiful thing. I like parks,” said Claudio Pruscino, a neighbor up the street.  

“That’s awesome I agree there’s been a lot of building lately and the infrastructure to support it just isn’t there,” said Manny Recarey, another Marlboro Township local.  

In 2007, then-Gov. Jon Corzine offered Marlboro to buy the land but for $40 million. The town found a loophole in the state-owned land statute: once it ceased to be a hospital, the administration rezoned it for open space. With the support of governors Chris Christie and Phil Murphy, the deal to take over the property finally became reality after a nearly 20-year tedious behind-the-scenes process.  

 “We want people to drive in here when they want a relaxed environment. Not everybody wants to be on the beach. Recreation can also be relaxing,” said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone.  

For now, the state will still own the land, but all improvements and control will now be done under the Monmouth County Parks System.