IRVINGTON, NJ—Changes in the healthcare landscape due to the Affordable Care Act are pushing healthcare services closer to patients, leading to rising demand for sustainable, attractive, medical office space, according to Eli Alper, Novus Equities' leasing director.

Alper has just signed The Bridge, a provider of substance abuse, family crisis and mental health counseling services to residents of Essex and Union Counties, to a long-term, 3,300-square-foot lease for a satellite office at Novus' 40 & 50 Union Avenue Medical/Professional Campus, in Irvington, NJ.

“New Jersey's medical office renaissance is rooted in tenant demand for greener, more aesthetically appealing and conveniently located space within communities where the patient and client base lives, works and goes to school,” says Alper. “The 40 & 50 Union Avenue Medical/Professional Campus satisfies all of these requirements and has emerged as the region's premier urban health hub.”

The new office houses the organization's Family Preservation and Outpatient Counseling Services, which relocated from two former locations on Grove Street and Clinton Avenue.

“The Bridge's new office at 50 Union Avenue has helped us realize our mission to be a community resource and one-stop clearinghouse for behavioral health services in Irvington and the surrounding area,” says Robert Masella, president of the organization's board of trustees. “In addition to the physical structure, the medical campus' new amenities and first-rate tenant services were a major draw and we are happy to now call it our new home.”

“Generally speaking, in this Affordable Care Act era, millions of newly enrolled Americans are now using the coverage they are paying for – eliminating some of the uncertainty associated with this legislation,” Alper tells GlobeSt.com exclusively. “As a result, healthcare providers are focusing on where they can maintain and render quality preventive care and treatment with a physical presence closer to the patients they serve, all while cutting or capping costs. This has mobilized medical entities and related health-services organizations to scrutinize demographic data and identify 'gateway health centers,' like the 40 & 50 Union Avenue complex, to serve as easily identifiable, convenient patient health management centers for a large, diverse population.”

Since Novus acquired and renovated the property in 2014, the two-building, 72,000-square-foot office campus has emerged as a gateway for area hospitals and not-for-profit health services organizations. Located within minutes of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children's Hospital of New Jersey, both of which are part of the Barnabas Health System, as well as University Hospital in Newark, the campus has undergone an extensive property repositioning.

Initiatives have included a $3 million renovation program; re-tenanting; and the addition of new amenities, including complimentary off-street parking and an on-site café, full-service pharmacy, modern conference center/media lounge and professional security and maintenance services. Centrally located 200 yards off Exit 143A of the Garden State Parkway, the 40 & 50 Union Avenue Medical/Professional Office Campus offers easy access to Routes 24, 78, 22 and 1 and the New Jersey Turnpike.

In addition to the medical campus location, The Bridge provides Irvington school-based services at the Imani Center, located on the campus of Irvington High School, as well as at the middle school. The Bridge also has a cutting edge new program called The Peace Model Project, which is embedded in each of the Caldwell/West Caldwell elementary schools to promote positive social and communication, anger management and conflict resolution skills.

“As The Bridge's roots within Irvington became even more deeply entrenched, we began to explore how we could bring our different services and team members together to most effectively and efficiently reach those who rely on us,” says The Bridge's CEO, Inya Chehadé, MSW, LSW. “Among our requirements were easy accessibility for private vehicles, bus lines and walking; amenities such as on-site parking and security; and easily identifiable visibility. The Union Avenue Medical/Professional Campus met and exceeded all of these criteria for us.”

The Bridge's Family Preservation Services dispatches education and intervention professionals to assist families with children who are at risk of out-of-home relocation placement. These services include child and family assessments, counseling and related support, links to community resources and follow-up. Individual and group counseling for children, adolescents and adults range from outpatient mental health and addiction services to independent living services and community workshops.

The new office houses the organization's Family Preservation and Outpatient Counseling Services, which relocated from two former locations on Grove Street and Clinton Avenue.

Instant Insights /

Search for More Attractive Medical Offices Driving Healthcare Real Estate Renaissance

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