SJP Properties Tapped to Redevelop Long-Vacant Morristown Block Into 200-Unit Mixed-Use Project

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Morristown Mayor Timothy P. Dougherty and the Town Council have conditionally designated SJP Properties as the redeveloper of four long-vacant parcels near the Morristown Green, setting the stage for a mixed-use project that would bring approximately 200 residential units and 120,000 square feet of commercial space to the heart of downtown.

The announcement, made Aug. 20, covers properties at 1 North Park Place, 17–21 North Park Place, 11–23 Washington Street, and 2–10 Washington Street — a collection of underutilized and largely vacant structures spanning roughly 3.2 acres and 11 tax lots along the Green. The Town has formally designated the area as in need of redevelopment.

Properties and Site Context

The four addresses encompass a range of building types that have sat vacant for years. The most prominent is 1 North Park Place, which includes the former Century 21 department store — a mid-20th-century retail shell that has been vacant since the chain's pandemic-era bankruptcy in 2020. Across the street, 2–10 Washington Street, the former home of the Schenck Price Smith & King law offices, has been vacant since approximately 2010 and was formally designated for redevelopment by the Town Council in March 2021. The remaining parcels — 17–21 North Park Place and 11–23 Washington Street — consist of historically styled storefronts and low-rise commercial buildings that local officials have characterized as blighted.

SJP Properties is under contract to purchase nine storefront lots along North Park Place and Washington Street, as well as the vacant law offices, from entities tied to long-time owner David Brown. The Town's conditional designation gives both parties a 90-day exclusive negotiating window, extendable by an additional 60 days, to finalize a redevelopment agreement and a pre-development funding agreement.

Proposed Program and Planning Process

Under the proposal, existing buildings would be demolished and replaced with a new mixed-use development. The current concept calls for approximately 200 residential units, roughly 120,000 square feet of commercial space, and ground-floor retail. Earlier planning documents tied to the North Park Place Redevelopment Plan referenced approximately 160 residential units and 100,000 to 120,000 square feet of build-to-suit office space for the North Park portion, alongside a separate concept for 2–10 Washington Street that included 54 residential units and ground-floor retail — figures that, combined, align closely with the integrated program SJP is now publicly advancing.

Specific architectural plans, site designs, and potential commercial tenants have not been announced. Those details are expected to emerge as the project moves through Morristown's planning and approval process. No sale price, development budget, loan amount, or financing terms have been publicly disclosed. The Town's planning documents indicate that potential payment-in-lieu-of-taxes arrangements may be among the items negotiated in the redevelopment agreement.

The conditional designation does not constitute final project approval.

"This is an important step forward for a part of downtown that has been waiting for new life," Mayor Dougherty said in a statement. "These properties occupy a highly visible location in the heart of Morristown, and their redevelopment will have a tremendous impact on our downtown."

SJP's Existing Morristown Footprint

Steven Pozycki, founder and CEO of SJP Properties, framed the North Park proposal as a continuation of the firm's existing investment in Morristown, pointing specifically to M Station — a two-building, 373,000-square-foot office campus on Morris Street developed by SJP roughly a quarter-mile from the NJ Transit station. M Station East was completed in 2022 and anchored by Deloitte. According to the Town, the two M Station buildings have collectively brought approximately 3,400 employees and multiple retail businesses to Morristown.

"M Station has been a transformative development for Morristown, and the redevelopment of North Park will advance our long-standing vision for a more vibrant and elevated Morristown Green," Pozycki said. "Through the arrival of a skilled workforce, high-quality retail, and premier housing, we'll reactivate this area and restore its place at the center of the Town."

Next Steps

The North Park redevelopment represents an early-stage planning milestone. SJP Properties and the Town of Morristown will use the exclusive negotiating window to work toward a formal redevelopment agreement before the project can advance to site plan review and approvals. Additional details on program mix, design, and financing are expected to be released as that process unfolds.

The project, if approved, would target one of the most visible blocks in downtown Morristown — directly adjacent to the historic Morristown Green — and would continue a broader period of redevelopment activity in the municipality's central business district.

Sources

• SJP Properties — Long-Vacant Morristown Properties Could Get New Life with Major North Park Redevelopment