Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 6

91 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 MORR I S TOWNSHI P , NEW JERSEY manufactured deodorant products, is currently undergoing redevelopment that has divided the site into two parcels. Seventy percent of the space has been turned into residential property, while 30 percent will be developed as a mall called ‘The Marketplace’. Grayzel notes, “The residential units are at the back of the property and the front of the property, along the county road, is going to be a new mall. We were able to work with the developer because consumer behaviours are changing and now people want more curbside pickup. So we revamped the layout of the mall a bit and were able to come up with something that I think is going to be pretty unique in the state of New Jersey.” The mall will include pedestrian plazas with room for outdoor dining, three drive-thru restaurants, and a community park. “We are hoping to attract kids and family-related businesses,” Grayzel adds. “We are trying to make the mall a destination.” The new construction is evidence of a community that is growing. “We have new housing stock coming in, and we have this new mall in an environment where malls are not being built anymore,” says Grayzel. “CIT group is renovating a huge amount of space – 200,000 square feet in an office building that they will move into in the fall. There is great investment across our town in housing stock, retail, and office.” New Jersey state housing requirements, which require a portion of new developments be dedicated to affordable housing, has driven development in the township and is helping the population grow. The results are a town that is made up of people from all walks of life. “Our demographic is very diverse – from families to seniors,” says Morris Township Administrator Tim Quinn. “There’s an even spread pretty much across the town. We have a lot of families moving in because it’s a very desirable place