There was a time not long ago when you could spend a leisurely afternoon at Park Avenue and 57th Street browsing for books at the local Borders Books outlet.

If you go to that location now, you’re probably there for health-related reasons.

With the transition to e-commerce, it’s little surprise that Borders, like many other bookstores and leisure-related outlets, is now gone. What’s unexpected now is that all of that space, with the exception of a piece on the ground floor, is being replaced by a medical facility, making it part of a growing trend of seeing healthcare providers in retail environments.

Shifting demographics, an aging population, and an increasing need for healthcare services are driving significant activity in the healthcare office sector by a wide range of healthcare providers, property owners and investors.

Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) completed a lease between the NYU School of Medicine and Caerus Group at 74 Kent Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for 16,679 s/f on the ground floor and lower level. Paul Wexler and Josef Yadgarov of Wexler Healthcare Properties at The Corcoran Group represented NYU.

New York University School of Medicine has signed a lease for 16,679 square feet on the ground floor and lower level of Caerus Group’s 74 Kent Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Commercial Observer has learned. The space will be a physical therapy and imaging center for local residents.

“We get rid of a dilapidated building that we couldn’t afford to take down, and the community gets housing out of this project.”

With a nationwide 65-plus population on the rise, shrewd developers are building medical offices, hospitals and senior housing. How’s that working out?