Courthouse Expansion Moves Forward In Morristown With New Design

MORRISTOWN, NJ — After reviewing an updated exterior design proposal, Morris County officials approved moving forward with the next phase of a new courthouse slated for a county-owned parcel on Schuyler Place in Morristown.

The design was presented this week by AECOM, the architects contracted for the project, following a June 14 commissioner work session meeting at which some of the commissioners suggested changes to the existing design.

“This final design is the result of collaboration and input from all the stakeholders on this project. We value AECOM’s approach in working with the county to ensure we landed on an exterior design that is timeless in terms of function and aesthetics,” said Commissioner Stephen Shaw, Chairman of the Courthouse Committee.

The scaled-down expansion plan has been plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, halting action on a previously pitched 140,000-square-foot design.

The updated design involves an approximately 119,000-square-foot project offering eight new courtrooms, a jury assembly room, meeting rooms, security areas and a secured, three-story glass entrance foyer.

The whole project will meet the modern safety, security and space requirements required to appropriately support the criminal Superior Court activities of the county. The new structure will have eight floors and will be built on a government parking lot next to the existing Morris Government Administration and Records Building.

Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty also attended the meeting, having previously expressed an interest in preserving a popular pocket park at the intersection of Schuyler Place and Washington Street.

The overall scope of the project has narrowed, as has the overall cost when calculating inflation, a point noted by Commissioner Douglas Cabana.

The current complex's capacity, according to officials, has been exceeded due to the rapid growth of the court system and county government. The court expansion project has been in the works since 2018, with the contract to build a new courthouse being awarded in November 2019.

According to officials, the county commissioned a Space Needs and Facilities Assessment in 2017.

The assessment, which was concluded in 2018, identified a substantial gap in criminal, family, and civil court facilities, as well as outdated conditions in the existing courthouse complex, which includes the historic courthouse along Washington Street, which was built in 1827.

According to Judge Stuart Minkowitz, the structure was expanded three times before 1900, with further portions added in the 1950s and 1970s. The complex, which is located on Washington Street between Court Street and Western Avenue, will be retained, but most court operations will be discontinued.

The county commissioners, then known as Freeholders, held public hearings before unanimously passing two capital ordinances in late 2018 to fund the design phases of a new courthouse along Schuyler Place.

"Balancing the needs of the court system with the financial concerns of county taxpayers has continued throughout the process and involved the county government administration, commissions, members of the judiciary and the Sheriff’s Office," the county said in a statement.