A blighted block on Broadway could be a symbol of Bayonne’s rejuvenation, according to Bayonne and St. Barnabas officials.
Demolition of buildings will begin in about two weeks to make way for the St. Barnabas Health Care System on the west side of Broadway between 23rd and 24th streets.
Work there has been ongoing since last month, according to Katherine Fowler, vice president of outpatient services for St. Barnabas Health in West Orange.
“We started inside by removing pipes and electrical wiring,” Fowler said. “Now we’re ready for the next stage.”
The company has been preparing the site since the beginning of January, according to St. Barnabas spokesman Mark Rabson.
Workers will proceed with the demolition one building at a time from the northern end of the site, at 24th Street, and work their way down toward 23rd Street.
Barney Stock Shops, at the corner of 23rd Street and Broadway, is not part of the project and will remain open. Workers will shore up the foundation at Barney Stock, to ensure that it will be safe for employees and customers, according to Fowler.
“We’re working with our Jersey City team and other Barnabas partners,” she said. “They will have a satellite Emergency Department through them. It will be licensed through the Jersey City Medical Center and be managed and run by them.”
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The facility will have imaging services on the first floor. On the second floor will be doctors and staff from United Medical Group, in Bayonne. A community education center, with room for up to 30 people, will be built, as well as a St. Barnabas Health retail pharmacy, laboratory, pediatric specialists, and cardiac and women’s services.
Fowler said that a telephone survey of Bayonne residents is being conducted to see what other services may be wanted.
“We look to respond to those needs and then finish putting our plans together,” she said.
The demolition work is expected to conclude in April, and foundation work should begin in May or June. Up to 100 people will be working on the construction site, according to Rabson.
A parking deck on Del Monte Drive will hold up to 300 cars.
Rendina Healthcare Real Estate leads work on the project.
It is anticipated the facility will open in the spring or summer next year. When it does, more than 100 jobs should be created for city and area residents.
When construction wraps up, equipment, furniture, and other items will be moved in. Staff will be trained at the site. St. Barnabas will hold community events to celebrate the new building.
St. Barnabas plans to merge with the Robert Wood Johnson health care system, according to Rabson. Hearings on the merger are ongoing this month.
“St. Barnabas and Robert Wood are both nationally recognized health care systems,” Rabson said.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.