William Paterson breaks ground on $40M health sciences center

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The basics:

• $40M state-funded expansion doubles William Paterson’s current Sports and Recreation Center
• First floor: Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center with clinic, women’s health, lab & pharmacy
• Second floor: Kinesiology department, classrooms, athletic training area, natatorium, multipurpose gym
• Supports allied health degree programs and New Jersey workforce needs

William Paterson University officials and New Jersey leaders broke ground Oct. 17 on a $40 million state-funded campus expansion and update. The project will transform WPU’s Sports and Recreation Center into a new Recreation and Health Sciences Center.

The project received funding through the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority. It will add a new 55,000-square-foot, two-story extension to the existing facility — more than doubling its size.

The New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education recommended the work for legislative approvals. It was awarded through a competitive call for capital improvement and technology infrastructure proposals.

Future workforce needs

“This new Recreation and Health Sciences Center is truly a transformational project for William Paterson,” said William Paterson University President Richard Helldobler, recently recognized among the inaugural NJBIZ Executive Excellence honorees. “It will, of course, feature upgrades and additions to the complex’s traditional sports and recreation role, which will create a space to support comprehensive student wellbeing through our excellent Health and Wellness Center.

“Significantly, it will also leverage proximity to these facilities to create space and resources for the many related majors that are preparing our students for careers in the diverse allied health professions.”

The overall facility will provide classrooms, labs and other related spaces for the university’s bachelor degree as well as master’s degree programs.

Key project details:

• Will seamlessly connect to the current Sports and Recreation Center, which houses WPU’s main athletic arena and fitness facilities
• First floor – will house the Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center. Features will include:
  • Modern health clinic
  • Dedicated women’s health center
  • Lab and pharmacy
  • Exam and counselor rooms
  • Flexible activity space
• Second floor – will provide space for the Department of Kinesiology. Features will include:
  • Four classrooms
  • Observation rooms
  • Dedicated athletic training area
  • Faculty offices
  • 25-meter natatorium with locker rooms
  • Multipurpose academic gym
  • Flexible activity space

“We know that these fields are a cornerstone of the New Jersey economy and are growing increasingly important each year, so this project supports both William Paterson’s strategic goal of further aligning our programs with the State’s workforce needs and – again, critically for a public investment in a public institution – Gov. [Phil] Murphy’s record of prioritizing public health and wellness for all New Jerseyans,” said Helldobler.

‘More than a place to learn’

Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way was on-hand for the groundbreaking. She said this project marks an exciting investment in the future of William Paterson University and in the growth of its students.

“Our administration is proud to support the launch of the new Recreation and Health Sciences Center – a hub for innovation in sports medicine, kinesiology, and wellness. As the wife of a retired professional athlete, I know how essential these fields are for those in physically demanding professions,” said Way, referring to her husband – former New York Giants great Charles Way. “This facility will be more than a place to learn – it will be a space for the WP community to come together and take care of themselves.”

U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou, D-9th District, called the event “a day to reflect on all the priceless values of investing in education and our state’s future.”

William Paterson is a vital resource for our community and an incubator to extraordinary talent and potential.
— U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou

“William Paterson is a vital resource for our community and an incubator to extraordinary talent and potential,” said Pou. “This future center tells our students that their futures are worth investing in and it tells educators and health care professionals that the tools that they need are being built.”

Pioneer-ing alum

Two state lawmakers, who are also William Paterson alumni, also expressed their excitement about the project.

“I stand with you in spirit not just as a policymaker, but as a producer of the institution’s mission to transform potential into purpose,” said Sen. Benjie Wimberly, D-35th District. “This university gave me my foundation, it helped shaped my character, my calling, and my capacity to serve, and today it continues to shape futures across our region.

“This expansion is more than a construction project. It is a pioneering step forward.”

“As a proud William Paterson University alumnus, I’m honored to see my alma mater continue to lead with vision and purpose,” said Assemblyman Al Abdelaziz, D-35th District, who described the day as a full-circle moment. “This new Recreation and Health Sciences Center represents more than just a state-of-the-art facility. It’s an investment in our students, our workforce, and the future of New Jersey.

“William Paterson has always been a place where opportunity meets ambition – and this project will ensure that tradition continues for generations to come.”

Construction is expected to be completed by June 2027.