New health center breaks ground at NJ Transit station

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. (PIX11)-- Millions rely on New Jersey Transit to access, well, everything.

The trains that rumble through Metropark Station will one day, officials say, give people easier access to healthcare.

"One out of 4 Americans don't have a primary care physician," said Bob Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. "There's a lack of access right there. When you take that demographic down to under 30, it's actually one out of 2 that do not have a primary care physician."

Hackensack Meridian Health is breaking ground on a healthcare center at Metropark, which will be built practically right down the steps from the Track 1 platform.

Officials say once it opens, the $200 million project will create 1,000 new jobs. Official tout it as a one-stop-shop: primary care doctors, surgical specialists, advanced imaging and lab services - all in one space. The site will also be home to more than 200 new residential units.

"I've got to tell you, I think this will be a role model for the entire nation," said Garrett. "I think there should be more of these not only at train stations but at airports, at bus terminals, it just makes perfect sense."

According to NJ Transit, as many as 5,000 people board at Metropark on weekdays. 

Governor Phil Murphy calls the long-unused space adjacent to the train station an uncut gem. "An enormous amount of upside opportunity that has felt for decades like it was just out of our reach," said Murphy. "That is changing."

Officials say the first medical offices should open by September 2025.