Salem, Mass. – North Shore entrepreneur, philanthropist and NSMC trustee Arthur Epstein, together with his wife, Eunice, pledged $1 million toward the construction of the new Mass General/North Shore Center for Outpatient Care slated to open in Danvers in spring 2009.

The couple’s gift matches the largest donation in North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) history, said Robert Norton, President and CEO of NSMC.

“The Epstein family’s generous support during the planning phase of this major new resource speaks to their vision for healthcare delivery on the North Shore,” Norton said.

Indeed, Mr. Epstein said the opportunity to have a partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) deserves strong financial backing from the local community. “The new Center for Outpatient Care will mean having access to the highest level of medical care close to home,” he said.

A native of Malden, Mass., Mr. Epstein founded Wakefield Management as a Midas Muffler franchise in 1963, an operation that has expanded to include 35 stores throughout New England. Residents of Marblehead for the past 37 years, the Epsteins have been active in philanthropy, much of it through the Jewish Federation of the North Shore and Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott; all in the tradition of tzedakah.

From the Hebrew root “tzedek,” meaning justice or righteousness, giving tzedakah is considered not only an act of generosity, but also a responsibility, one that the Epsteins began early to instill in their three children and now in their six grandchildren. Their granddaugher, Zoe Nadal, for example, recently donated 30 percent of her bat mitzvah presents to charity.

“People don’t know how good they’ll feel,” Mr. Epstein said about contributing to worthy causes. “Imagine the difference one can make to families struggling with major medical concerns. Enabling them to get the care they need—the very best care—so close to home deserves all of our support.”

The planned Mass General/North Shore Center for Outpatient Care will deliver more sophisticated services than any existing or proposed outpatient facility in the region, Norton said. It will offer the latest in cardiac diagnostics, outpatient and minimally invasive surgery, and advanced imaging services. It will also serve as the expanded home of the new MGH and NSMC Cancer Center, a collaborative oncology program with MGH and Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare.

The sleek 122,000-square-foot outpatient facility and adjacent 80,000-square-foot medical office building are being designed by the Boston architectural firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott.

The location at 100 Endicott Street in Danvers, overlooking Route 128, will require the demolition of approximately 143,000 square feet of the current Osram Sylvania building. Osram will continue operations in the remainder of the building, Norton said, and has a long-term lease agreement with Partners HealthCare, the parent company of NSMC and MGH. Demolition is expected to begin next month.

The project will be built by Walsh Brothers Construction, Inc., which specializes in modern medical facilities. Construction costs are estimated at $104 million with a target completion date in spring 2009.