Created by The Michaels Organization and Virtua Health, Oliver Station is Designed to Improve Health & Housing Equity
CAMDEN, NJ / ACCESS Newswire / August 7, 2025 / The Michaels Organization and Virtua Health held an uplifting grand-opening ceremony today for their $24 million housing and health care community in Camden's Whitman Park neighborhood. The vibrant campus - called Oliver Station - features beautiful, affordable housing for those 55 and over, along with a 5,200-square-foot primary care office.
Oliver Station is a transit-oriented, three-story, mixed-use community feature affordable housing and a primary care center.
Oliver Station is the first community in South Jersey and the second in the state to benefit from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency's (NJHMFA) 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. Virtua is contributing $4.1 million to support Oliver Station, and NJHMFA contributed $4.2 million through the subsidy program.
"This trailblazing community will improve the lives of many and set an example for the good that can happen when compassionate, forward-thinking organizations join forces to address societal challenges," said Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE, president and CEO of Virtua Health, southern New Jersey's largest health system.
Based in Camden, The Michaels Organization is the largest owner and one of the most active developers of affordable housing in the United States, and has been actively developing housing in Camden for more than two decades.
"We are grateful for the local and state support of this innovative community and the opportunity to bring residents modern, high-quality affordable housing , as well as our partnership with Virtua that will ensure our residents have access to primary care right here on the premises, in addition to a direct connection to Virtua's comprehensive network of world-class care," said Michaels CEO Mark Morgan.
Located at 1800 Davis Street, Oliver Station is a transit-oriented, three-story, mixed-use community built on a long-unused parcel next to the PATCO Speedline's Ferry Avenue Station and about 3/10 of a mile from Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, which is a hub for advanced and complex care.
Designed by Camden-based Urban Practice, the 47 modern apartments at Oliver Station offer high-quality, affordable homes for households headed by someone age 55 or older, with household income no more than 60% of the area median income. Ten apartments are set aside for people age 55-plus who qualify for housing subsidies from the Camden Housing Authority, including five apartments for those experiencing homelessness.
Each apartment features living and dining areas, full kitchens with abundant cabinet space, full baths, ample closets and Energy Star-rated appliances. Apartments are offered in both one- and two-bedroom layouts. The building also offers an on-site fitness center, laundry facilities, and a community gathering space.
"Quality housing is the cornerstone of a strong, vibrant, and healthy community," said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. "Oliver Station will be the first community in South Jersey of this kind. The project integrates quality affordable senior housing with top-notch health care and focuses on delivering and advancing health equity for residents. This is a place that is safe, stable, dignified, and a place residents can call home. We are so excited to have two great community partners bring affordable homes and direct access to high-quality health care within the community."
The new community is a model for other health care organizations and housing developers, demonstrating how to pair affordable housing with health care to increase health care equity 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.
NJHMFA Executive Director Melanie R. Walter expressed appreciation for the landmark community.
"Oliver Station, a project developed with funding from private, hospital, and NJHMFA subsidy through the Agency's nationally renowned Hospital Partnership Subsidy Program, will provide modern, quality affordable housing and wraparound health services to 47 senior households," she said. "The late Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, a champion of housing, health care, and community services, would be proud to see this transformative project come to fruition." (See more on Sheila Oliver's role below.)
Virtua Primary Care - Camden at Oliver Station, featuring 10 exam rooms, will serve as a vital resource for the broader Camden community, welcoming patients who live at Oliver Station and in the surrounding area.
Moreover, the community recently earned a prestigious Smart Growth Award from nonprofit New Jersey Future. Oliver Station is one of seven honorees, described by NJF as "innovative projects that are transforming communities through forward-thinking design, sustainable development, and equitable revitalization."
Enhancing the Well-Being of the Community
Many Camden residents lack a primary care provider, due to various barriers - from cost or lack of transportation to fear or cultural concerns. However, primary care is essential to good health. Access to care can provide a medical team that helps prevent problems and addresses health issues early, when they're most treatable.
"Oliver Station will help people overcome obstacles to getting and staying healthy, meeting people where they are and earning their trust," noted Dr. Sam Weiner, vice president and chief medical officer of the Virtua Medical Group clinician network.
"This medical practice will likely be life-changing for those who live here, as well as for those in the surrounding neighborhood," he explained. "Imagine having high-quality primary care right downstairs, without even needing to leave your building."
In addition, the adjacent PATCO stop makes Oliver Station easily accessible for many area residents.
The practice's close connection to Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital will enhance care for Oliver Station residents and other patients by linking their primary care team to hospital specialists.
Academic Medical Team
In addition to its convenient location, the Virtua Primary Care practice at Oliver Station will offer other advantages:
The practice's doctors are internal medicine physicians, which means they have additional education in complex and chronic diseases. The staff includes at least four or five attending internal-medicine physicians, as well as nurses, medical assistants, and other team members.
The staff includes a fellowship-trained geriatrician - a doctor specializing in the care of older patients - Mithil Choksey, MD. [link]
The practice is also a rotation site for medical residents. These are newly graduated doctors who are completing their required medical training. This academic model provides patients with a high level of care, as they receive attention from both a teaching doctor and a resident at each visit.
The medical residents are also able to communicate on the patient's behalf and provide additional time and resources for the patient. Moreover, programs like this can help address the shortage of primary-care physicians by encouraging more young doctors to go into primary care.
Oliver Station: Honoring Two N.J. Leaders
A highlight of the grand-opening ceremony was the unveiling of a large memorial plaque honoring two inspiring leaders for whom the community is named. The plaque will be permanently mounted in the lobby of Oliver Station.
The Reverend Thomas Clement Oliver (1818 -1900) was a conductor on the Underground Railroad who briefly lived in Camden. He once presided over the Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church, Camden's oldest African American institution and a refuge for freedom seekers, according to the State of New Jersey.
His "eyewitness accounts provide the most detailed information on how the Underground Railroad operated in South Jersey," according to the Salem County Cultural and Heritage Commission. For more information, visit Rowan University's Campbell Library's Underground Railroad webpage.
The name Oliver Station acquired a second meaning following the death of New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver in August 2023. (She and the Rev. Oliver are unrelated.) Elected in 2017 alongside Gov. Phil Murphy, Sheila Oliver previously served in the N.J. General Assembly for more than 15 years.
As lieutenant governor, she served as commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs and board chair of the NJHMFA. Oliver spoke about the importance of the Hospital Partnership Subsidy Program:
"This groundbreaking public and private partnership is the latest in the State's efforts to collaborate with New Jersey hospitals to provide affordable, safe housing with supportive services for those most in need in our communities. It is innovative new partnerships and projects like this that give us long-term solutions for reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness in New Jersey while improving quality of life."
In addition to benefiting from the hospital subsidy partnership program, Oliver Station also received 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits issued by the NJHMFA. TD Bank invested in the tax credits, which were syndicated by Berkadia. The Michaels Organization will provide property management services to the residential community, ensuring that it remains a neighborhood asset for years to come.
For more information on Oliver Station, 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 175,000 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.
Contact Information:
Laura Zaner
Vice President, Michaels Corporate Marketing
lzaner@tmo.com
856-988-5983; 856-630-1540
Julie Walsh
Virtua Media Relations
jwalsh@virtua.org
609-828-8981
SOURCE: The Michaels Organization
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/real-estate/a-first-in-south-jersey-innovative-affordable-housing-community-with-on-site-health-car-1057780
