Approved! New VA Hospital to be Built in Brick Township, Not Toms River

Phil Stilton

 

 

TOMS RIVER-A source who wishes to remain anonymous within New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim’s inner circle this week has confirmed that the new Ocean County Veterans Administration (VA) hospital will be built in Brick and not Toms River as some have speculated.

Last night the Brick Township Planning Board approved the construction of a new 75,000 square foot medical center.

This week, more evidence of that decision that has yet to be formally announced surfaced after plans to construct a new 75,000 square foot medical facility at the intersection of Route 88 and Burrsville Road in Brick Township.

While Shore News Network has known about this project for several weeks, at first it was decided that we would wait for Congressman Kim’s official announcement on Monday, September 30th, but the cat is now out of the bag.


Yesterday, we asked Toms River Mayoral Candidate Maurice Hill about the federal government’s decision to choose Brick Township over Toms River, which has announced massive redevelopment plans across the community that banked on a VA Hospital, Post Office combo on Hooper Avenue.


“We were told decision has not been made and won’t until early October,” Hill said.

The Brick site is located on the infamous “triangle” tract of land that has been the source of contention for development for decades in the community.

An application has been submitted by Kamson Corporation to be heard before the Brick Planning Board that fits the requirements of a veterans administration hospital.

The Brick site is already zoned for “hospital support” and is located near Hackensack Meridian’s Ocean Medical Center.   As President Donald J. Trump moves to allow veterans to use their VA medical benefits outside of the VA healthcare system, the site would also offer veterans easy access to many dozens of specialists whose offices are within one mile of the new facility.   Nearly two dozen medical buildings are within a one-mile radius of the site, making the new facility part of a larger community-wide medical complex.

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Last night, Hill hosted another Facebook live session where he continued to tout his support for the VA to build the new hospital in Toms River, making one last pitch.

“There are a lot of positives in that area of Toms River,” Hill said.

Hill said the VA tends to locate their hospitals in areas where there are other facilities for veterans, touting banks, restaurants, movie theaters, and the Ocean County Mall.

When officially announced, it could serve as a political blow for Hill, a retired Navy veteran and retired dentist.    It would be a political windfall for Democrats in Brick who are aligned with Congressman Kim.

 

 

 

 

 

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