8 — May 2026 — Healthcare — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
H ealthcare
OODBRIDGE, NJ — You know that doctor’s appoint- Metropark Health & Wellness Center offers transit-accessible care under one roof Hackensack Meridian Health opens nation’s first health & wellness center in a travel hub W
ment you have been putting off, the annual screening, the bloodwork, the nagging cough you’ve been meaning to have checked out? Life is busy and something, whether it’s work or family commitments, often gets in the way of these critical but easily postponed appoint- ments. A recent survey found more than 90% of patients have admitted to delaying or skip- ping annual screenings. It’s one of the reasons more than a third of adult Americans do not have a primary care physician. Today, Hackensack Merid - ian Health is making it easier for patients to go to the doctor, with the opening of the first- in-the nation comprehensive health and wellness center at a major transit hub. Hack- ensack Meridian’s Health & Wellness Center at Me - tropark, a $200 million project built alongside New Jersey Transit’s second busiest train station, with extended hours, offers patients the flexibility to pop in for a quick appointment before commuting to work, or after commuting home in the evening. The Health & Well - ness Center also offers easy access to quality medical care for patients who rely on mass transit, in a highly suburban vehicular transit-reliant state. “Hackensack Meridian Health continues to innovate new ways to deliver high- quality care and expand access to care for our patients,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are the first in the country to bring comprehen- sive health services to a major mass transit hub, revolutioniz- ing where and how healthcare is delivered to reach more people. Patients who regularly attend preventive doctor’s visits have considerably better health outcomes. By making it easier for people to visit the doctor, we are improving the health of our communities. We expect it will be a model emulated across the country.” With comprehensive health services at the transit hub and extended hours, Hackensack Meridian is making medical care much easier for the 60,000 commuters who go through Metropark Station each month. Services will include advanced imaging, urgent care plus, primary care, surgical special-
Hackensack Meridian’s Health & Wellness Center at Metropark
ties, medical specialties, retail pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabili- tation, phlebotomy and more. “The new Health & Wellness Center at Metropark is exactly the kind of smart, forward- looking investment our state needs,” said Governor Mikie Sherrill . “By locating this cen- ter steps from a major transit hub and incorporating new housing, we are advancing transit-oriented development that makes it easier for resi- dents to live, work, and access care without relying on a car, strengthening the connection between healthy communities and sustainable infrastructure.” The Health & Wellness Cen - ter at Metropark expands on Hackensack Meridian Health’s broader effort to better serve patients by bringing together key network physicians and ambulatory services under one roof in easily accessible neigh- borhoods. In the last several years, Hackensack Meridian Health has opened outpatient care center locations across the state, including in Eatontown, Clark, Clifton and Paramus. “Metropark Health & Well - ness Center’s convenience offers patients who depend on mass transit easy access to a variety of preventative medi- cal appointments and special- ized services all under one roof,” said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE , chief operating of- ficer, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Upon arriving at the Metropark station, patients are able to ‘walk-in’ for blood work, imaging, urgent care and other appointments, and then board the next train or bus to their destination. The seamless model of care enables patients to schedule an ap- pointment early in the morn-
ing before heading to work, or later in the day on their way home. Metropark’s Health & Wellness Center is a shining example of HMH’s blueprint for health, which creates a dense network of access that leaves preventable disease nowhere left to hide.” Hackensack Meridian’s Health & Wellness Center at Metropark is the first part in a broader plan by the state of New Jersey to redevelop Metropark Station and trans - form the area into a walkable destination for transportation, retail, living, working and receiving healthcare. When complete, the project will have housing, office space, retail space and the health and well- ness center all within steps of the transit hub for both New Jersey Transit and Amtrak. The development at Me - tropark is the first example of New Jersey Transit’s broader plan announced in October 2025 to generate additional non-fare revenue by utilizing its real estate portfolio for development. “Hackensack Meridian’s new building at Metropark Sta - tion represents one of the first products delivered under NJ TRANSIT’s recently released LAND Plan: Leveraging our Assets for Non-farebox Dol - lars,” said Kris Kolluri , NJ TRANSIT’s president & CEO. “It is symbolic that we are just a week removed from welcoming 300+ real estate executives and developers to an open house offering sites for development. Anchored by our Metropark Train Station, this project serves as a model for what’s possible under public private partnerships that benefit ev - eryone from the local through the state level.” The Metropark complex is be -
station is also expected to al- low HMH to further recruit top talent from across the entire Northeast Corridor, with em- ployees easily able to commute from major cities, including New York and Philadelphia, along with its central location within New Jersey. “Woodbridge is proud to be the new home of Hackensack Meridian Health,” said Mayor John McCormac . “Our admin- istration worked productively with NJ Transit, the DOR team and the construction team, led by Terminal Construction, to assure that the redevelopment of Metropark resulted in a unique asset that serves Wood- bridge and also derives unique benefits from being here. We look forward to enjoying, with HMH, its success and service to our residents.” “Congratulations to Hacken- sack Meridian Health and to everyone whose dedication, col- laboration, and vision brought this project to life,” said Mid - dlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios . “The opening of this new Health & Wellness Center represents a forward-thinking approach to healthcare delivery– integrat- ing preventative and urgent care directly into a transit hub to make access more convenient than ever. This innovative partnership reflects Middlesex County’s continued commit- ment to expanding access to high-quality care and advanc- ing the health and well-being of our residents.” With wellness and sustain- ability top priorities at Hack- ensack Meridian Health, the Metropark building was con - structed in a way that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also qualifies for LEED Gold certification. MAREJ
ing developed by DOR , a part- nership of the Dinallo family, Onyx Equities and Russo Development to reimagine this Woodbridge community with housing and retail. “The history of Onyx Equi- ties is to find the special op - portunity that many properties provide — sometimes it’s not so apparent,” said John Saraceno, co-founder of Onyx Equities with co-founder Jonathan Schultz. “Metropark is now not only home to the first health - care facility at a train station, it also features Vermella Me - tropark, which will be managed by our partner Russo Develop- ment, with whom we also own Vermella Woodbridge.” Hackensack Meridian Health is also moving its net- work headquarters into the upper floors of the Iselin build - ing, allowing the network to bring all its corporate employ- ees previously spread across several buildings under one roof for greater convenience and collaboration. “This will be the first time since the merger that formed Hackensack Meridian Health ten years ago, all our network non-clinical employees will be in the same building steps away from each other,” said Jose Lozano , Hackensack Merid - ian executive VP and chief growth officer. “The building is designed with collaboration in mind, with ample meeting and social spaces for brainstorming and cooperation. We are excited to give our team members the space to do their best work in a beautiful environment offering easy access to quality transit, dining, retail and of course, our healthcare services.” Moving Hackensack Me - ridian Health headquarters directly to the Amtrak train
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