On the heels of the new $550 million hospital, Plainsboro Township has set the framework to propel itself as a leading center of medical practice in central New Jersey. On July 16, the Plainsboro Planning Board approved final subdivision and site plans for the Forrestal Professional Center to house a two-story, 40,192-square-foot medical office building with 40 doctors’ offices. The facility is expected to serve up to 600 patients per day.
The applicant, Beacon Princeton Forrestal MAB Associates LLC, is the contract purchaser of 5.6 acres on a 7.585-acre site at the intersection of Scudders Mill and Campus Roads. Princeton University previously owned the site, but the site plan calls for two lots to be created, leaving 1.91 acres aside for the university, which has no plans for development at this time.
Daniel Siegal, the managing partner of Princeton Forrestal Associates (common reference for Beacon Princeton Forrestal MAB Associates), told the planning board that 20 tenants have already leased space at the new facility. “There will be a lot of ancillary offices for hospital physicians,” he said.
Among the expected tenants are an oncologist, orthopedists, infectious disease specialists, internal medicine specialists, and a plastic surgeon.
The immediate impact of the site plan is to construct a road from Forrestal Center to Campus Road. This has been tabbed the “Forrestal Road” extension, which was previously approved by the Plainsboro Planning Board. Construction of the building is expected to start in November and end by fall, 2013.
The application required no variances. A parking lot with 205 spaces will be adjacent to the building. Under Plainsboro’s current ordinance 100 spots are required, but at the planning board meeting representatives explained the need for double that amount, including 35 spaces measuring 9 feet by 16 feet, and 170 spaces measuring 9 feet by 18 feet.
Ambulance access also needed to be accounted for, and the building is slated to have a helipad on its roof. The developer said there would be an agreement for hospital use of the helipad for up to two years.
An equipment and supply loading area will be incorporated into the northeast corner of the new building.
Soil quality had been an issue at the site as, in 2003, Princeton University had to obtain permission from the state to use 39,000 cubic yards of historic pesticide-contaminated soil. But at the hearing, the developer’s representatives told the planning board Princeton had already removed two fills of the contaminant soil.
Office hours for the new building are expected to be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays as well as Saturday mornings and afternoons. All outside lighting will be on a timer to shut off by 10 p.m.
Private contractors will handle landscaping and snow plow responsibilities. Each doctor or medical practitioner will be responsible for the proper disposal of their office’s medical waste.
