Rowan University has unveiled a $690 million plan to develop 220 acres near its Glassboro campus into a district that will include a wellness research center, housing, health care facilities, retail space and more.
The project will be built at the intersection of Routes 55 and 322 in Gloucester County, about a mile west of the public university’s main campus, the school announced Monday.
The multiphase development will include two major components: the Rowan University Wellness Village and the Rowan University Center for Manufacturing Innovation. Together, the projects are intended to strengthen South Jersey’s role in health care, research and advanced manufacturing, Rowan University President Ali Houshmand said.
“What we are proposing is transformational in scope and impact,” Houshmand said in a statement. “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.”
South of Route 322 near Inspira Medical Center, the Wellness Village will feature a mix of housing, including 250 market-rate rental apartments and 410 townhomes and single-family houses for purchase.
Plans also call for 340 retirement community units, made up of independent living, assisted living and memory care housing, as well as 96 active-adult rentals for residents age 55 and older.
The community will include walking trails, recreation space and a 40,000-square-foot Rowan Community Wellness Institute focused on health programs, education and research. Officials say the institute will anchor the development and connect Rowan’s academic programs and research with wellness programs for residents and the broader community.
Rowan students will also be able to intern and work at the institute as part of the university’s health and research programs, Houshmand said.
The university is partnering with Inspira Health, Rowan Medicine and United Methodist Communities to provide health care services and operate the senior living and assisted living facilities, according to the announcement.
Inspira plans to construct a 25,000-square-foot administrative headquarters and a 65,000-square-foot medical office building as part of the development.
North of Route 322, Rowan plans to build the Center for Manufacturing Innovation, a 350,000-square-foot hub for advanced manufacturing research, workforce training and industry partnerships.
“This research hub will serve as a launchpad for new ideas, where students learn by doing, faculty push the boundaries of discovery and industry partners help turn research into real-world solutions,” Rowan University Chancellor Tony Lowman said in a statement.
Officials said the project is still in its early stages. Construction is expected to begin around 2027 once approvals are secured from local planning boards.
The development is expected to generate about $14.3 million in annual tax revenue and create roughly 5,000 jobs, including more than 900 permanent positions.
Rowan is partnering with Fairmount Properties, an Ohio-based developer that specializes in mixed-use projects tied to universities.
Randy Ruttenberg, CEO of Fairmount Properties, said Rowan is among the first universities to pursue this type of wellness-focused development model.
“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,” Ruttenberg said.
The project spans land in Glassboro and Harrison Township. Rowan officials said they plan to present the proposal to local planning boards and municipal leaders in the coming months.
N.J. university wants to build $690M research campus, ‘wellness village’ with 1,000+ homes
