$350M Real Estate Project Planned At Orange Memorial Hospital Site

ORANGE, NJ — A new future is in the works for the site of Orange Memorial Hospital in New Jersey.

Real estate firm Gateway Merchant Banking recently released details about a $350 million redevelopment project at 188 South Essex Avenue. The goal? To construct an apartment complex with affordable housing – while also preserving a historic property and local landmark.

Located in the Central Orange Redevelopment Plan Area, the project will include studios and one, two and three-bedroom residences.

Developers said up to 20 percent of the 1,005 apartments will be reserved for affordable housing. There are also plans to bring senior and student housing to the site.

The project has received site plan approval from the City of Orange Township Planning Board. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

Here’s what developers are planning, the firm said:

“Gateway’s team has reimagined the site as a family-friendly destination centered around over an acre and a half of public space, including a host of public-facing amenities, such as an outdoor ice skating/roller skating rink, a public plaza with an open lawn and swinging benches, terraced platform seating, a restaurant with outdoor seating, children’s play areas and more. Residents will enjoy a plethora of private amenities, including a rooftop pool with cabanas and gardens, a sky lounge, fitness rooms, flexible event spaces, secure, access-controlled package rooms and ample parking spaces, including 200 electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, the redevelopment will include 70,190 square feet of retail and commercial space; while 25,000 square feet will be earmarked for municipal office space to be occupied by the City of Orange, Gateway intends to lease the remaining space to local businesses.”

In an effort to preserve as much as possible of the hospital – which is on the state and national registry of historic places, two significant buildings will be preserved and transformed, the firm said: Mary Austen Hall and the Old Boiler House.

“Notably, Mary Austen Hall, the last standing building of Orange Memorial’s nursing school – which was the first in the state of New Jersey and one of the first in the country – will be the new home of Orange’s City Hall,” the firm added.

Mayor Dwayne Warren said the project will be a win for the community.

“All eyes are on this transformational project as we anxiously await its revitalization after closing two decades ago,” Warren said.

“Not only was Orange Memorial Hospital an important historical institution in the Orange community, it was also a statewide treasure,” Warren continued. “It was a leader in training opportunities for Black nurses and was the birthplace for leaders in every field.”

“Gateway’s plans for the property demonstrate its understanding of the site’s historical significance and potential for the future,” the mayor added.

Terrence Murray, co-founder and managing partner at Gateway, said the project is “not just another real estate deal.”

“As someone who lives minutes away and calls South Orange home, I understand the magnitude of this project, not only for the City of Orange but for Essex County and all of New Jersey,” Murray said.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

Orange community members are invited to attend an upcoming town hall meeting to learn more about the project.

Meetings will take place on:

• Wednesday, Feb. 19 – from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at First Shiloh Baptist Church, 424 Main Street
• Thursday, March 6 – from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew A.M.E. Church, 336 Oakwood Avenue

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