An effort to transform one of New Jersey’s underutilized transit hubs is officially underway as one of the biggest names in healthcare has broken ground on the first portion of a mixed-use complex.
Dignitaries from Hackensack Meridian Health held a ceremony on March 8 to mark the beginning of work on a first-of-its-kind healthcare facility at a mass transit hub. The future building is part of a larger development called Metropark Station by DOR, which is being undertaken by a consortium led by Russo Development.
“New Jersey is pioneering a new model for supporting our families and communities as we break ground on the first-ever comprehensive health care facility located at a major transit hub,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This new Hackensack Meridian Health facility marks a major milestone both for the larger redevelopment of Metropark Station as well as in realizing our Administration’s broader vision for the future of transportation and community health.”
When it opens, the Hackensack Meridian Health and Wellness Center will offer more than 60,000 square feet of healthcare services including primary care, medical specialties, surgical specialties, a sports and spine center of excellence, advanced imaging, phlebotomy, and rehabilitation services. The complex will also sport a retail pharmacy, occupational health services, and urgent care.
Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert C. Garrett noted that over 60,000 people travel through Metropark Station each month, creating a rare opportunity to enhance suburban healthcare access through mass transit. The impetus for the development came from a state initiative to create multi-use locations that allow people to live, work and play in one location.
The first phase of Metropark’s redevelopment will invest about $200 million in the community and is anticipated to bring 1,000 jobs to the Woodbridge area. Hackensack Meridian Health will be consolidating its corporate offices, currently in Edison, within the new Metropark facility when it is completed.
“Hackensack Meridian Health is making a major investment in Woodbridge Township,” said Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac. “In doing so, it is bringing hundreds of high paying jobs to our economy while delivering a shot in the arm to the MetroPark train station and improving our local traffic flow throughout the area.”
The Hackensack Meridian Health and Wellness Center at Metropark is scheduled to open in 2025. Following the completion of the building, a new residential building will be constructed with retail on the lower level and approximately 230 residential units across the street.
The entirety of the Metropark project was awarded a $110 million tax credit grant through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s ASPIRE program, which supports developments that incorporate community benefits that connect people to healthcare more efficiently, stimulate mass transit use, and provide at least 20% low-income housing.
