Deloitte Anchor Tenant for New M Station Replacing Midtown Strip

Since the inception of the M station redevelopment project, Deloitte was long envisioned as the anchor tenant for the new building replacing the Midtown Shopping Center strip mall on Morris Street. Plans for the seven-story building describe a modern workplace for Deloitte employees and their customers as well as a parking deck, two plazas, a promenade, and a traffic roundabout at Morris and Spring Streets.

Deloitte will occupy floors two through six, leasing 110,000 square feet of space at M Station. “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,” Paul Krieger, New Jersey managing partner, Deloitte LLP, said in a statement at the project's commencement in 2020.

Retail planned for the ground floor hopes to replace the businesses we lost from the shopping center. We can be hopeful in this case, as the project includes not one, but two buildings, totaling 400,000 square feet of space scheduled for the spot. The redevelopment is a joint effort of strip mall owner Scotto Properties and SJP Properties.

A similar project with Deloitte by The Silverman Group was proposed for an area on South Street across from the Presbyterian Parish House, with 13 storefronts, that include J&K Steakhouse, the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company, and Smartworld Coffee. The project was shot down when Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty cautioned the town's council on dealings with Silverman Group who he reported labeled as "dishonest and not trustworthy."

The Silverman Group is suing Mayor Dougherty for essentially trash-talking the company and their project making it impossible to close a deal. Mayor Dougherty responded to the suit calling the claims "frivolous and inaccurate" and labeling Silverman as a "bully developer." The mayor says his priority “is and always will be preserving the heart and soul of our great town. I make no apologies for insisting that development, whatever it is, be appropriate for its location."

Regardless, Deloitte got their building and we kept downtown Morristown intact. Supporters of the new M Station development say the building will bring jobs to the area and improve traffic with the roundabout in place. Critics have raised concerns about gentrification and the loss of affordable fast food options available at the strip mall.

Where do you stand on the M Station project?