WOODBRIDGE — A $200 million health and wellness center to be built next to the Metropark station will be “one of the most significant development projects in New Jersey and the rest of the world,” according to Hackensack Meridian Health Inc. CEO Robert Garrett said.
Garrett joined Gov. Phil Murphy and representatives from New Jersey Transit Co. and Russo Development Co. on Friday at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hackensack Meridian Health and Wellness Center, a 240,000-square-foot building scheduled to open next year. , attended along with other political leaders.
The project also includes 230 housing units and will serve as a model for health systems across the country, Garrett said.
Murphy agreed, saying building health centers at transit hubs is innovative and should be replicated across the state.
“Let's just pretend for a moment that you're a mom or dad and you live in Rahway. You have some kind of life-threatening illness and you don't have a car. It's a 10-minute train ride from here. It's going to change the lives of people,” Murphy said.
Although there are other medical facilities near transportation hubs across the country, the development team says this is the first time a “comprehensive medical network” has been built at a major transportation hub.
In addition to serving as Hackensack Meridian Health's new headquarters, the facility will include an urgent care center, outpatient emergency room, pharmacy and pathology, advanced imaging such as MRI and CAT scans, advanced laboratory services, and a retail pharmacy. and so on.
Garrett said it will be a one-stop shopping type of building with primary care and surgical specialties.
The new project will also allow Hackensack Meridian Health to consolidate network support services at Edison, which is currently housed in three buildings, he said.
Metropark Station is a stop on Amtrak and New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor, the nation's busiest rail line. The station also serves at least seven New Jersey Transit bus lines. Approximately 1.5 million people use this transportation hub each year.
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The station is equidistant from Philadelphia and New York City, which Hackensack Meridian executives say is a key selling point in recruiting employees from both cities.
The development team includes Russo Development, Dinallo, and Onyx Equities. Onyx is also the owner of His 2 Gateway in Newark, the building where New Jersey His Transit is headquartered.
The development partners secured a $113 million ASPIRE grant through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
The project will take place in two phases. The first is 200,000 square feet of corporate and medical office space, and the second is 325,000 square feet of residential space, including 20% of the units considered affordable housing, and 12,000 square feet of retail space, including a restaurant. is.
The total construction cost is expected to be approximately $124 million.
Caroline Ehrlich, Woodbridge's chief of staff who represents Mayor John McCormack, said the mayor began thinking about developing the site when he first took office 18 years ago and designated Metroparks as a zone of need. He said he has begun working with the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Redevelopment began, but the timing was not right. She said the township approached New Jersey Transit again a few years ago and the idea moved forward.
Ehrlich said the project has the potential to create 1,000 jobs and will benefit residents, commuters and businesses.
Plans show a mixed-use building with six stories and four stories totaling 235 residential units and more than 11,976 square feet of ground-floor restaurant and retail space. There are a total of approximately 453 parking spaces on the first and second floors, and a third-floor courtyard with outdoor facilities including a pool.
The plan also calls for a seven-story, 241,887-square-foot medical office building that would include approximately 10,428 square feet of commercial retail space and 192 parking spaces over three levels.
This project is a significant innovation for the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
This is the second land lease the agency has signed in recent years with a developer interested in building on NJ Transit property. Another similar agreement is being voted on by the New Jersey Department of Transportation for a mixed-use residential and retail development in Hoboken, next door to the terminal.
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The New Jersey Department of Transportation is trying to generate new revenue to support the agency's operating budget by leasing land to developers, but it faces a deficit of more than $100 million next year and nearly $1 billion next year. facing a deficit.
For the 99-year Metropark lease alone, NJ Transit will pay $3 million upfront, a base fee of $600,000 per year (2% increase per year), a parking lease of $300,000 per year (with increase), and other factors. will be received by the government agency. If the building is sold, we will distribute the generated proceeds and appraised value.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, covering crime, courts and other unrest. For unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital girlfriend account today.
