Media Contacts:
Julie Walsh, Virtua Health, [email protected], 609-828-8981
Daniel Moise, Virtua Health, [email protected], 610-781-7765
Laura Zaner, The Michaels Organization, [email protected], 856-988-5983
MEDIA INVITE:
Grand Opening on Aug. 7 to Celebrate a First in South Jersey: Innovative Affordable Housing Community with On-Site Health Care
Created by The Michaels Organization and Virtua Health, Oliver Station is designed to advance health & housing equity
(CAMDEN, N.J.) The Michaels Organization and Virtua Health will hold a grand-opening ceremony for their $24 million housing and health care community in Camden’s Whitman Park neighborhood on August 7. The vibrant campus – called Oliver Station – will feature beautiful, affordable senior housing and a 5,200-square-foot primary care office.
Oliver Station is the first community in South Jersey and the second statewide to benefit from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency’s Hospital Partnership Subsidy Program. The program supports the construction of mixed-use communities near hospitals – creating safe, stable housing with convenient access to health care services.
Event highlights will include presentation of a 30-by-40-inch historical plaque memorializing the community’s two inspiring namesakes: The Rev. Thomas Clement Oliver, a local Underground Railroad conductor, and the late Sheila Oliver, N.J. lieutenant governor – who was instrumental in the state funding program that supports Oliver Station. Also: photo ops of oversized “welcome home” wreath display, live music, two-story poem mural, housewarming gifts, signing of “welcome boards,” and refreshments.
WHEN:
Thursday, August 7
Advance tours for media at 11 a.m.
Program starts at 11:30, followed by more tours at 12:15 (approx.)
MEDIA RSVP requested to a contact at top.
NOTE: A full press release & photos will be distributed at & immediately after the event.
WHERE:
Oliver Station, 1800 Davis Street, Camden, NJ 08104
Parking available at adjacent PATCO Speedline’s Ferry Avenue Station
WHO:
About 150 guests are invited, including Oliver Station’s first residents. Speakers to include:
- Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen
- Dennis W. Pullin, President and CEO, Virtua Health
- Mark Morgan, CEO, The Michaels Organization
- Melanie Walter, Executive Director, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA)
- Dr. Sam Weiner, Chief Medical Officer, Virtua Medical Group
- Nick Cangelosi, Regional Vice President of Development, The Michaels Organization
- Residents of Oliver Station will be available for interviews
WHY: Oliver Station is a model for pairing affordable housing with health care to reduce health care inequity in under-resourced neighborhoods. When people struggle to pay rent, they face financial and housing instability – as well as heightened risk for negative health outcomes, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Oliver Station features 47 income-restricted rental homes affordable to those earning 60% or less of the Area Median Income, along with a Virtua Health primary care practice with 10 exam rooms, and a variety of community amenities. The campus is about 3/10 mile from Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, part of Virtua Health, South Jersey’s largest health system.
Financing was raised through the sale of tax credits, a $4.1 million loan from the NJHMFA and matching funding from Virtua Health.
Camden-based Urban Practice served as the architects. Michaels will provide property and asset management for the residential homes, ensuring that Oliver Station remains a community asset for decades to come.
For more information, visit go.virtua.org/oliver-station and liveatoliverstation.com.
About Virtua Health
Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua Health is an academic health system committed to helping the people of South Jersey be well, get well, and stay well by providing the complete spectrum of advanced, accessible, and trusted healthcare services. Virtua’s 15,000 colleagues provide tertiary care, including renowned cardiology and transplant programs, complemented by a community-based care portfolio. In addition to five hospitals, two satellite emergency departments, 42 ambulatory surgery centers, and more than 400 other locations, Virtua brings health services directly into communities through Hospital at Home, physical therapy and rehabilitation, mobile screenings, and its paramedic program.
Virtua has 3,000 affiliated doctors and other clinicians, and its specialties include cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health, orthopedics, advanced surgery, and maternity. Virtua is academically affiliated with Rowan University, leading research, innovation, and immersive education at the Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences of Rowan University. Virtua is also affiliated with Penn Medicine for cancer care and neurosciences, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for pediatrics.
As a not-for-profit health system, Virtua is committed to the well-being of the community and provides innovative outreach programs that address social challenges affecting health, most notably the “Eat Well” food access initiative, which includes the unparalleled Eat Well Mobile Grocery Store. Discover more at virtua.org.
About The Michaels Organization
The Michaels Organization is a national leader in residential real estate, offering full-service capabilities in development, property management, construction, and investment management. Serving more than 200,000 residents in more than 600 communities across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Michaels is committed to crafting housing solutions that jumpstart education, civic engagement and neighborhood prosperity and to creating Communities That Lift Lives.
