Marlboro Hospital Cleanup Costs Jump to $75 Million

Asbestos, contaminated soil and an outdated wastewater treatment facility are driving up the costs to cleanup the Marlboro State Hospital property, according to NJ.com.

The state has yet to demolish the buildings at the hospital, a step which will bring Marlboro closer to having an over 400-acre park turned over to the township.

Currently, the property is a haven for wildlife, according to an interview with urban ecologist James O’Brien, of Jackson conducted by NJ.com. O'Brien documented a visit to the property on his Flickr account.

The state originally announced plans for the property in 2011, but official studies didn't begin until 2012. Now, the state says it will turn the property over to Marlboro next year.

History

Closing the state hospital came 11 years after State Senator Richard Codey went undercover in the hospital, hired as an orderly. Codey chronicled his experience in New Jersey Monthly magazine, saying he witnessed “inhumane care and treatment of mental patients,” as well as poor living and working conditions.

The hospital, built in the 1930’s, came under scrutiny as the senate team found evidence of illegal environmental practices, bribery and a “range of irregularities,” that the task force reported had been going on since the late 1980’s.

Since its closing, the hospital property has been used for military exercises. However, due to ghost stories about the hospital and its persona as a mental institution, it has become a popular Weird NJ location.