7-Eleven is latest addition in huge central Morris redevelopment. Here's what's next
Redevelopment on the West Hanover Avenue corridor in Hanover and Morris Township is picking up pace, with work beginning this week on a 7-Eleven that will join dozens of new shops, restaurants and townhomes rising on two former commercial campuses.
The 7-Eleven, due to open by the end of the year, will complete the 19-acre Cedar Village retail center on the site of the old Northrop Grumman defense technology headquarters in Hanover. A Lowe's Home Improvement center anchors the project built by developers JMF Properties and RD Management.
Across the road in Morris Township, the same team expects retail tenants to soon occupy and complete work on spaces in the 140,000-square-foot Morris Marketplace, built in partnership with Accurate and DeVimy Equities at a former Colgate-Palmolive manufacturing plant.
"You will see a lot more tenants taking possession between now and December," said William Lenaz of Jeffrey Realty, which is leasing spaces at the marketplace.
Morris Marketplace is part of a 64-acre redevelopment straddling Morris Township and a part of Morristown that will include 143 townhomes and 60 rental units when completed. Accurate estimated costs of the Marketplace project at $50 million when it broke ground last year.
The property near the Mennan Sports Arena was sold by Colgate-Palmolive after the consumer-products maker closed its plant in 2016.
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Residents began occupying the neighboring housing development, known as the Collection at Morris Township, in the spring.
Leased tenants at Morris Marketplace include AT&T, Optimum, Jersey Mike's, Wells Fargo, Orangetheory Fitness, Habit Burger and a Lidl Grocery. Construction continues on portions of the site.
Back in Hanover, the Cedar Village site has been unoccupied since Northrop Grumman left in 1985. The 7-Eleven will include a 4,000 square-foot convenience store, eight pumps, self-service air and a vacuum onsite. It's expected to be completed in December, according to JMF founder Joe Forgione. Lowe's opened there in 2019.
'We identified 7-Eleven as a business that would thrive in this location and contribute a desired service to local residents and motorists, including visitors to Mennen Arena as well as contractors and other professionals," said Forgione, a former commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
JMF and RD previously developed the Waterview Marketplace in Parsippany, which opened in 2019 with Whole Foods as an anchor.
William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: 7-Eleven work begins in Hanover-Morris Township redevelopment area
