Rowan unveils $690M West Campus development project

The basics:

• Rowan University announces $690M West Campus project in South Jersey
• 220-acre development includes Rowan Wellness Village, Center for Manufacturing Innovation
• Project expected to create 4,170 construction jobs, 900 permanent positions
• Public-private partnership with Fairmount Properties to integrate housing, research, health care, workforce training

Rowan University announced a landmark $690 million West Campus Development Project March 9. The plan aims to advance health care, advanced manufacturing innovation and workforce development in South Jersey.

The 220-acre, multiphase project will rise at the intersection of Routes 55 and 322. It will include two main components: the Rowan Wellness Village and the Rowan Center for Manufacturing Innovation.

“What we are proposing is transformational in scope and impact,” Rowan University President Ali Houshmand said. “It is a bold vision for the region, well beyond the 220 acres of our project, something that will spur growth throughout the county and South Jersey.”

What we are proposing is transformational in scope and impact.
— Ali Houshmand, president, Rowan University

Together, the two key project components will combine housing, health services, research facilities and industry collaboration to establish an integrated hub for education, research and economic development.

Wellness Village

The Wellness Village, located south of Route 322, will create a walkable, intergenerational community focused on longevity and healthy living. Rowan will develop the project in partnership with Inspira Health and United Methodist Communities. The area will include:

• 40,000-square-foot Rowan Community Wellness Institute offering fitness, arts, culinary and educational programming
• 65,000-square-foot Inspira medical office building and separate 25,000-square-foot administrative headquarters
• 160-room hotel and conference center
• 56,000 square feet of retail space
• Outdoor features, such as walking trails and a wooded preserve
• Housing for multiple demographics, including:
  • 250 rental units,
  • 410 for-purchase homes
  • 340 senior living units with assisted living and memory care options

The village will connect housing, medical care and recreation through trails, bike infrastructure, shuttle service and rideshare access. It will focus on community health and research tied to Rowan’s academic programs.

Center for Manufacturing Innovation

North of Route 322, Rowan plans a 350,000-square-foot manufacturing and research hub. The design of the Manufacturing Innovation center aims to help companies move products from prototype to production more quickly while strengthening regional supply chains.

Several existing Rowan research institutes will anchor the hub including:

• The Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Institute
• The Center for Research & Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems
• The Machine & Artificial Intelligence Virtual Reality Center
• The Digital Engineering Hub

These facilities will offer shared fabrication equipment, leasable research space and opportunities for companies to co-locate R&D operations alongside Rowan faculty and students. Partnerships with the Wellness Village and clinical providers could also help for testing of medical and assistive technologies.

“The Wellness Village provides a planned living-learning community anchored in education, health and wellness,” said Houshmand. “Our Center for Manufacturing Innovation will act as a powerful catalyst to attract researchers and investors interested in leveraging Rowan’s research expertise and facilities.”

Rowan’s ‘opportunity for growth’

The development builds on Rowan’s growing West Campus, which already includes facilities such as the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center, the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine and the Virtua Health College Research Center.

“The rapid transformation of Rowan University, including its nearly doubling of enrollment over the past dozen years to 24,500 students, and its ranking among the top 100 public research universities in the nation, has created an opportunity for growth typically seen only at our nation’s most forward-thinking universities and their host communities,” Chad Bruner, chair of the Rowan University Board of Trustees, said.

The rapid transformation of Rowan University … has created an opportunity for growth typically seen only at our nation’s most forward-thinking universities and their host communities.
– Chad Bruner, chair, Rowan University Board of Trustees

The project is expected to create more than 4,170 construction jobs and over 900 permanent jobs, while generating about $14.3 million in annual tax revenue.

It will be developed through a public-private partnership with developer Fairmount Properties.

“The ripple effect of this investment and the implementation of this smart growth master plan will generate jobs and tax revenues, address much-needed workforce training in health care and advanced manufacturing, and create a community focused on long and healthy lifestyles,” said Randy Ruttenberg, founder and co-principal of Fairmount Properties. “It’s a bold model that will certainly be duplicated across the country and unsurprisingly, Rowan is the first to move into this unique space. We appreciate the confidence they have shown in our team to execute this transformational vision.”

Rowan officials plan to begin municipal approvals and community meetings this spring, with construction expected to proceed in phases once approvals are secured.