Hospital Expansion

The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026

Community Medical Center, part of RWJBarnabas Health, plans a new addition to its existing hospital campus on Route 37 in Toms River. County records list about 80,134 square feet of new building on a 41.5-acre site. News coverage describes a much larger six-story building of roughly 444,000 square feet of floor space on about three acres next to the current hospital. The two figures likely differ because one counts the building's ground footprint and the other counts floor space across all stories.

The addition is expected to hold patient rooms, surgery services, outpatient clinics and a cafeteria. It is the second of four phases in a long-term plan. The first phase was a central utility plant and a visitor parking garage, and the garage is already built. The hospital has operated on this site since the early 1960s.

The township Planning Board approved the addition in April 2026. No organized opposition turned up in the sources found.

What it could mean nearby

• More patient rooms, surgery and outpatient services could mean more daily visits, staff and deliveries on Route 37 and Hospital Drive.
• The new parking garage from phase one is already in place, which may help absorb added parking demand.
• The work is on an existing hospital campus, so no new open land is taken outside the hospital's property.
• A larger hospital will likely need more electrical, water and sewer capacity. The sources reviewed did not give details.

Where it stands

The Toms River Planning Board approved the site plan in April 2026, and a county filing followed in March 2026. Next steps are usually final permits and construction, with later phases brought forward separately.

• Apr 24, 2026 News coverage reports the Planning Board approval of the six-story addition.
• Apr 15, 2026 Toms River Planning Board approves the hospital addition (phase two).
• Mar 4, 2026 Latest county planning filing for the site plan.
• 2024 Amended approval for phase one (utility plant and parking garage).
• 2023 Phase one receives preliminary and final site plan approval.
• 2022 Planning Board approves the hospital's long-term general development plan.

Want to weigh in? The Toms River Planning Board has already approved this phase, and residents can follow future phases at its public meetings.

Who's behind it

Community Medical Center, Inc. (RWJBarnabas Health) · A hospital in Toms River that is part of the RWJBarnabas Health system, a large New Jersey health care network.

Around the web

• Community Medical Center in Toms River Gets Approval for 6-Story, 444,000-Square-Foot AdditionJerseyDigs · Apr 24, 2026Reports the April 2026 Planning Board approval, the size and uses of the addition, and that it is phase two of four.
• Construction UpdatesRWJBarnabas HealthThe hospital's page on construction and temporary parking changes on the Route 37 campus.
• All posts tagged Community Medical CenterShorebeatLocal news coverage of the hospital's expansion applications over several years.

Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.