Woodbridge Plans To Open Homeless Housing In Hopelawn Section

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A lot of news came out of Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac's State of the Township address last Monday (March 30). First, we learned about two new hotels and several new restaurants coming to Woodbridge.

Also, McCormac dropped a major bombshell that Woodbridge plans to relocate its municipal court to the Federal Credit Union building, located right down the street from town hall and which has long been vacant and for sale. The Township just bought it. More details on that to come.

And now, here is a summary of major development news happening in Woodbridge in 2026:

1. Woodbridge Twp. plans to help the Raritan Bay YMCA open a 28-unit homeless shelter in the Hopelawn section. The town did not immediately answer when Patch asked where it will be located, but residents in that area say it's coming to the corner of Loretta Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The building used to be owned by Ralph Mocci, a prominent Woodbridge developer.

This building will provide 40 beds for people experiencing sudden homelessness in Woodbridge and Perth Amboy.

However, Steve Jobin, president/CEO of the Raritan Bay Area YMCA, said it is inaccurate to describe this as a homeless "shelter." He said this will be permanent housing for people who are homeless, or fleeing domestic violence.

Woodbridge and the city of Perth Amboy will help pay for the building, using state and county funds. Get more details: Homeless Housing In Hopelawn Will Not Be A 'Shelter,' Will Be Permanent Housing, YMCA Says

2. The massive 10-story office building currently under construction at the MetroPark train station will open in June. This will be the new corporate headquarters of HackensackMeridian Health. It will also have doctors' office/urgent care, making it the first of its kind medical complex located at a train station. HackensackMeridian hopes commuters using the train station will be their customers. This is part of a larger development at MetroPark, tentatively called The Hyve, that will have 230 apartments, office space and more. Here's how it will look when completed.

In other Metro Park news:

3. A vacant office building on Wood Avenue in MetroPark will become 100 small individual office suites, along with residential apartments.

4. The Bristol Arms apartments at the end of Gill Lane will be renovated this year.

5. "In a very unique plan, a re-developer is interested in building very small apartments in MetroPark at about 500 square feet each in one room that functions as the kitchen, living room and bedroom with a pull-down bed and slide-out furniture," said McCormac. "That will be the first of its kind in the state." He did not say where.

6. An 18-unit market rate senior housing complex will be built off Rt. 1 in Menlo Park Terrace. It's for seniors whose Social Security and pension income are too high to qualify for subsidized housing. Woodspring Suites, an extended stay hotel, is currently under construction nearby.

7. Woodbridge Township will soon begin construction on Peterson Commons, a 60-unit veterans' housing complex located next to the Greens on Rahway Avenue in Avenel.

8. Construction will begin soon to turn the former Woodbridge Bowling Center site into a self-storage facility.

9. Woodbridge is seeking developers for the six-acre site on Rahway Avenue in Avenel that was supposed to be the new School #4/5. "We are still hoping for a medical use, but in no instance will we approve apartments or a warehouse at that site," McCormac promised.

10. And finally, the Brookfield warehouse project on the Perth Amboy border will open in early 2027. And, the million square foot warehouse in Avenel on the former site of the Woodbridge Developmental Center will soon have a tenant (unnamed). "The lease is very close to being finalized," said the mayor. A parking garage will also be built there.

Woodbridge Plans To Relocate Its Municipal Court (April 2)

New Restaurants, Hotels Coming To Woodbridge (April 2)

Woodbridge Plans To Dredge Creek Around Anchors Tiki Bar (April 1)

Contact the Woodbridge Patch reporter, Carly.baldwin@patch.com