GLASSBORO, NJ — Rowan University is undergoing a $690 million development project that will create a community and research center across 220 acres in South Jersey.
According to the school, the advancement of a health, manufacturing innovation, and workforce development district will create more than 5,000 new jobs and 1,000 residential units.
“What we are proposing is transformational in scope and impact,” said University President Ali A. Houshmand, “It is a bold vision for the region, well beyond the 220 acres of our project.”
Through a partnership with multiple parties across the health care sector and private sector, the multiphase project will stand at the intersection of Route 55 and Route 322 in Gloucester County.
(Credit: Rowan University) 
(Credit: Rowan University)
The district will be comprised of two major components, the Rowan University Wellness Village and the Rowan University Center for Manufacturing Innovation.
The Wellness Village will be a “living-learning” community with spaces for research, along with walking trails and other opportunities for therapeutic treatment.
Residents will have access to activities, education, and health care on-site. Care will be provided by a new Inspira Health medical office building, and at separate independent living, assisted living, and memory care facilities.
United Methodist Communities (UMC) and Rowan Medicine will also be partners in the living arrangements.
The neighborhood will also include a community center, shuttle services, a hotel/conference center, retail spaces, and more.
“UMC is proud to bring over a century of senior care expertise into a dynamic, intergenerational setting that reimagines wellness, purpose, and lifelong learning,” added President and CEO of UMC, Mark Lenhard.
The Rowan Center for Manufacturing Innovation, a 350,000 square-foot collection of buildings, will showcase manufacturing innovation and workforce development through health care, higher education, and residential planning.
Companies will have spaces to work and move ideas along from prototype to production, allowing for stronger regional supply chains and high-paying technical jobs, the University said.
Rowan students and faculty will be able to work alongside private sector businesses to grow four Rowan engineering research wings.
The teams will collaborate with the Wellness Institute to advance medical and assistive technologies with the help of senior residential community members and the clinical partners.
“The research hub will serve as a launchpad for novel ideas, where students learn by doing, faculty push the boundaries of discovery, and industry partners help turn research into solutions that shape the future,” added Tony Lowman, Rowan University’s Chancellor.
The timeline for the two-part project located in Harrison Township and Glassboro will be finalized after officials within the University meet with planning board and municipality councils over the next few months.
According to the school, the project is estimated to generate around $14.3 million in annual tax revenues, create more than 4,170 construction jobs, and bring more than 900 permanent jobs to the area.
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