Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Susan Preston
(973) 972-7265

UMDNJ to Build University Housing on its Newark Campus
First Housing Program in 33- year History

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) held a groundbreaking ceremony today (October 25) on its Newark campus to begin construction on the first university housing residence in the University's 33-year history.

The $92.3 million 14-story building project, located at the corner of Norfolk and West Market Streets, comprises nine stories of residential floors with an exterior court area. It will be built above a five-story new parking garage, connect to an adjacent parking facility.

The building will house 465 students in 234 residential apartments. The apartments will include a mix of studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, and three bedroom designs. The majority of them will have views of downtown Newark and the New York City skyline.

Included in the new facility, which is expected to be completed by August 2006, will be a campus fitness center and several retail establishments.

Dr. John Petillo, interim president of UMDNJ, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony, said, "The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is proud to have its largest campus in Newark and we are committed to investing resources in its future as a vibrant, dynamic place to work, learn and live," he said.

Also speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony were Donald Bradley, president of the Newark City Council, and Richard Monteilh, business administrator for the City of Newark.

The project is being financed by a master lease transaction approved by the UMDNJ Board of Trustees at its Oct. 19 meeting.

The architects for the project are Kitchen & Associates, Architectural Design, and Timonth Haahs & Associates Structural & Parking Design. University Housing Associates is the project developer. Joseph Jingoli & Son is the construction manager.

The housing complex is the newest project in UMDNJ's on-going capital construction and renovation program on its Newark campus. Several other major projects already under construction. They are the UMDNJ- New Jersey Medical School-University Hospital Cancer Institute, an $103 million facility scheduled to open in June 2006 with three floors dedicated to clinical care and four to basic and translational research; the $26 million Oral Health Pavilion, which houses clinical and teaching activities of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School; and a new $60 million Ambulatory Care Center for UMDNJ-University Hospital set to open in June 2005.

In addition, as part of its capital investment in its Newark campus, in 2001, the university opened the $78 million International Center for Public Health in University Heights Science Park, a premier center focused on research into a wide range of new and emerging infectious diseases; and a $37 million University Behavioral Health Sciences building, which houses clinical and research activities of University Behavioral HealthCare and UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.

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