Morristown's future M Station project signs first tenant

MORRISTOWN — M Station, the office, retail and promenade project that will be built to replace the Midtown Shopping Center strip mall on Morris Street, has its first tenant.

The multinational professional services company Deloitte has signed a lease for more than 110,000 square feet of space in what officials of the town are calling its most significant commercial development in 30 years.

Deloitte signed the lease this week, said SJP Properties, the developer spearheading the project, and Scotto Properties.

M Station continues to advance as it awaits site plan amendments this year. The lease is contingent on full municipal approvals for the project.

“Our transition to M Station reflects Deloitte’s commitment to our people, to our clients and to New Jersey," said Paul Krieger, New Jersey managing partner of Deloitte LLP. "This space will promote a collaborative, sustainable work environment that will help us serve clients with distinction while anticipating the needs of today’s workforce."

The strip mall, which houses about 11 businesses, including Cluck-U Chicken, Burger King, Macho Nacho, a dry cleaner and a pharmacy, remains standing. The business owners, who said they have not yet been contacted by the developer, are expected to relocate in anticipation of the unscheduled groundbreaking.

Deloitte will move its operations from Parsippany and will occupy floors two through six of M Station East, which is planned to be six stories high and have about 120,000 square feet. The building's first floor includes 10,000 square feet of retail space, a lobby and building services areas.

“Our new space will put us in an even better position to attract and develop the best workforce for our clients and our community, one that leverages diverse disciplines and backgrounds," Krieger said.

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The second building, M Station West, will have seven floors with about 253,000 square feet of space that includes more than 230,000 square feet of office space and 23,000 square feet of retail, plus lobby and building services areas.

The project also calls for a 900-space parking structure, as officials anticipate that the area will attract about 1,000 during the day. For recreation, a 45-foot-wide Morris Street Promenade has been included in the design for outdoor leisure and entertainment.

Town officials have studied the feasibility of including a roundabout at the intersection of Morris and Spring streets, a feature they said would relieve the usual backups during rush hour.

Approval has been given to the plan for the roundabout and pedestrian and cyclist accommodations, such as new traffic safety beacons at Flagler Street and Speedwell Avenue, a median and staggered crosswalks.

The project is part of Morristown's larger redevelopment master plan. Town officials said that once completed, the area should generate about $1 million in annual tax revenue, which is 4½ times more than the current revenue. The project will also contribute $950,000 to Morristown’s affordable-housing requirement.

Proponents of the project say M Station will bring "world-class companies" such as Deloitte. But at a council meeting last year, residents and business owners called the project "heartless."

In response, SJP Properties noted that it had tried to listen to the community’s feedback while working closely with the town’s representatives and experts to "solidify a plan that reflects both Morristown’s redevelopment objectives and the demands of the market.”

Jessie Gomez is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com and NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: jgomez@gannettnj.com Twitter: @jessiereport