Morristown seeks redevelopers to convert train station parking lot into housing and retail

Map shows proposed redevelopment site near the Morristown train station. Source: Morristown 'Request for Qualifications for Developer and Development Team Selection.'
Map shows proposed redevelopment site near the Morristown train station. Source: Morristown 'Request for Qualifications for Developer and Development Team Selection.'
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By Aaron Karlsruher

Calling all redevelopers: Morristown wants you.

The town has set a March 24 deadline for proposals to redevelop a commuter parking lot between Lafayette and Morris streets near the train station.

Town planners, in collaboration with the Morristown Parking Authority, envision mid-rise residential housing, structural parking, and retail spaces on four parcels totaling 2.38 acres. One lot is owned by the parking authority, another by the state Department of Transportation, and another is privately held. The fourth parcel, Lumber Street, is a right-of-way. The area was designated a redevelopment zone in 2007 by the town council.

According to the Morristown Station redevelopment plan issued by the town:

“The redevelopment of the Morristown Station Area is an integral component of the town’s broader effort to create healthy, livable, neighborhoods and districts that are connected by safe, user-friendly multi-modal streets and transportation networks for Morristown residents, businesses, and visitors.”  It’s part of a new community planning forum called Morristown Moving Forward.

Map shows proposed redevelopment site near the Morristown train station. Source: Morristown 'Request for Qualifications for Developer and Development Team Selection.'
Map shows proposed redevelopment site near the Morristown train station. Source: Morristown Station Redevelopment Plan

“We’re excited. It’s a great area for development,” Mayor Tim Dougherty said on Monday. The town’s proximity to New York and its access to mass transit and major highways are “keys to success for Morristown,” he said.

He emphasized that this is only a first step, to identify a qualified redevelopment team that the town feels comfortable working with.

The project would eliminate 105 commuter parking spaces at the train station. Commuters can use NJ Transit’s six-story, 722-space parking garage across Lafayette Street at the Highlands apartment complex, said Phil Abramson, a Morristown town planner from Jonathan Rose Companies. Some 2,000 commuters use the Morristown station every week, according to the town.

Liberty Harbor North project in Jersey City, a model of 'diversity in building design,' according to Morristown's town planners.
Liberty Harbor North project in Jersey City, a model of 'diversity in building design,' according to Morristown's town planners.

Proposals should combine retail and residential in ways that blend well with the pedestrian-friendly atmosphere the town is striving to create at redevelopment projects on Speedwell Avenue and Morris Street.

As models, the town cites the Highlands at Morristown Station–which opened in 2009 with 218 units of mixed-income housing and 8,000 square feet of retail space–and projects in South Orange, Jersey City, Princeton and San Francisco.

The new redeveloper will be expected to accommodate mixed-income tenants. Census figures show that residents near the train station have a median income of just under $60,000. Town zoning laws suggest that builders set aside 12.5 percent of their units for people with low- and moderate-incomes.

The town also expects the architecture to be sensitive to Morristown’s historic flavor, while adhering to federal standards for sustainability and energy conservation as outlined by the Leadership for Eviromental and Energy Design (LEED) program.

Along those lines, the town seeks a project that reduces auto traffic and promotes cycling and foot traffic. This includes wide sidewalks for easy access to shops and restaurants in the building’s lower levels, benches, and trees for shade and aesthetic value.

Selection of a redeveloper will hinge on the applicant’s track record and willingness to accept input from the community, according to the town plan.  Applicants can meet with town officials on March 14 to ask specific questions, or they can contact town Administrator Michael Rogers.

READ THE TOWN PLAN FOR MORRISTOWN STATION

 Kevin Coughlin contributed to this report.

Another map of the proposed Morris Station redevelopment project. Source: Morristown Station Redevelopment Plan
Another map of the proposed Morris Station redevelopment project. Source: Morristown Station Redevelopment Plan

2 COMMENTS

  1. Well, I just read the development plans for morristown train station. I have been parking in Lot C..parking lot facing Lafayette Street for the last 20 years and paying a permit on a monthly basis. It is very convenient as a daily commuter into NYC.
    Why do you want to eliminate the 105 parking spaces and build apartments and level parking building.??? It will take up more time just to park and more time to walk to the train station. And what about safety…especially for women….the several level parking located at the Highlands is not safe….there is no one there when a person parks there car and it is dangerous for women to walk through and take steps or an elevator just to come out of the parking lot…..did you think of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just leave the 105 parking spaces as they are……..why make it more inconvenient and more dangerous for women………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Morristown has it’s own crime level……..why would would put women’s live’s on the line…especially when they park early mornings or late nights……you need to rethink this project..you have enough stores and aptmts. in morristown….What you need to do is clean up speedwell avenue and build aptmts and stores there to clean up the rift raft we already have there for many years…..

  2. Great! More empty apartments and retail space on the train tracks AND I’ll have to leave 10 minutes earlier to park in order to catch a train! Thanks Morristown!

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