In Woodbridge, New Jersey-based health network Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) is building a first-of-its-kind healthcare facility at a mass transit hub. The $200 million project at Metropark Station will provide convenient access to comprehensive healthcare to thousands of New Jersey, New York and Northeast residents each day. The Hackensack Meridian Health and Wellness Center at Metropark is scheduled to open in 2025 and will create at least 1,000 jobs in the region.
The impetus for the development came from Governor Phil Murphy’s push to modernize transportation hubs throughout the state, making them multi-use locations for residential, office space, retail and restaurants, allowing people to live, work and play in one location. The healthcare facility is part of a larger development of Metropark Station by DOR, a consortium led by Russo Development, that was awarded a $110 million tax credit grant.
“ allows HMH to offer an energetic, sustainable and accessible workspace for our team members in a great location, complete with mass transit, retail and healthcare, allowing HMH to continue to attract top talent from across the Northeast.”
— Jose Lozano, Executive VP, Chief Growth Officer, HMH
The complex qualifies for the multi-use platform under the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA) ASPIRE program, which supports transformative development projects that incorporate community benefits such as those featured in this development: connecting people to healthcare more efficiently; stimulating mass transit use; and providing at least 20% low income housing.
“Once again, New Jersey is pioneering a new model for supporting our families and communities as we break ground on the first ever comprehensive healthcare facility located at a major transit hub,” said Gov. 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.”
“The Aspire Program focuses on supporting Governor Murphy’s vision to expand transit-oriented development and revitalize communities across the state,” added NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan. “This Aspire award will support the ‘Metropark at Woodbridge’ development, which will include Hackensack Meridian Health’s world-class healthcare facility that will lead to new jobs, spurred economic activity, and greater access to healthcare services for local residents.”
Hackensack Meridian Health will also consolidate its corporate offices, currently in Edison, within the new Metropark facility. With sustainability a top priority for HMH, the company is building the facility to be aesthetically pleasing while qualifying for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Following the completion of the HMH Metropark facility, a residential building will be built with retail on the lower level and approximately 230 residential units. Residential growth in the immediate area surrounding Metropark and surrounding communities will create a greater need for the accessible healthcare provided by the Hackensack Meridian Health and Wellness Center.
“Metropark offers Hackensack Meridian Health the amazing opportunity to expand access to quality care by meeting patients in a convenient location they pass through daily,” said Jose Lozano, HMH executive vice president and chief growth officer. “It also allows HMH to offer an energetic, sustainable and accessible workspace for our team members in a great location, complete with mass transit, retail and healthcare, allowing HMH to continue to attract top talent from across the Northeast. We are thrilled to partner with JLL and DOR on this innovative project.”
Convenient Care For Commuters
When it opens next year, the Hackensack Meridian Health and Wellness Center will offer more than 60,000 square feet of healthcare services just steps from the Metropark mass transit hub. Services will include primary care, medical specialties, surgical specialties, a sports and spine center of excellence, advanced imaging, phlebotomy, rehabilitation services, a retail pharmacy, occupational health services and an urgent care.
“Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to expanding access to quality healthcare, meeting patients where they are,” said HMH CEO Robert C. Garrett. “60,000 people travel through Metropark Station each month as a hub for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak, soon these passengers will have access to quality care steps from their commute. The expanded, easy access is one of the major ways Hackensack Meridian Health is revolutionizing healthcare.
“Convenient access to a wide array of medical services at a mass transit hub complements Hackensack Meridian Health’s efforts to address how social determinants of health are impacting health equity,” continued Garrett. “This location will bring Hackensack Meridian’s best-in- class doctors and care to a location accessible to all, including those whose primary form of transportation is mass transit.”
The Health and Wellness Center addresses a growing need for quality healthcare in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, and surrounding areas of New Jersey that use the Metropark Station. It will also offer convenient medical care for those traveling to and from New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, DC along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
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New Jersey Sees ‘Historic Economic Progress’“We are proud to join Hackensack Meridian Health to celebrate the commencement of construction of their new healthcare facility. This facility is part of a broader Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) project anchored by Metropark Station — one of the busiest rail stations in our system,” said NJ Transit President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “In addition to providing unparalleled access to a wide spectrum of health services, this project is a perfect example of our broader TOD strategy in both generating additional non-farebox revenues as well as driving sustainable growth through enhanced public transportation access throughout New Jersey.”
“From the outset, the DOR team and the Hackensack Meridian Health team recognized the tremendous opportunity to create a new future for the Metropark Station,” said Dan Loughlin, Vice Chairman, JLL. “This might have been New Jersey’s most complex recent development, but it will also be the most rewarding.”
