Morristown's Mayo PAC Seeks Major Expansion: See Details, Photos

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown is seeking to bring in more guests and even bigger entertainers with a major expansion.

Planning documents filed with the town show that the MPAC envisions a five-story addition behind the theater on South Street, along with a two-story parking facility with its entry on Pine Street.

The proposal is still making its way through the town and state approval process, and the MPAC formally introduced plans to the town zoning board on April 3. The board is scheduled to discuss the plan again at their next meeting on May 1.

The 1,300-seat Mayo Performing Arts Center has visitors come in from all 21 New Jersey counties for its main stage performances and shows, as well as from neighboring states and beyond. The non-profit arts center generated more than $15 million in revenue for local businesses in the 2022/23 season, according to the annual report.

The existing MPAC building is four stories tall, and needs permission from the zoning board to build the five-story addition, since there are height restrictions in the "town center" zone.

The five-story addition would include revamped entryways and an expanded loading dock along Pine Street. It would include space for offices, rehearsal studios, dressing rooms, storage facilities, and a lobby — providing more room for the students at the Performing Arts School, but also space for bigger productions to headline at the theater.

The expansion plans also involve demolishing three early 20th-century houses along Pine Street and King Place, which the MPAC already owns. The buildings are currently used for studios and offices.

These structures and an existing lot would make way for a two-story parking garage with a roof, and various landscaping improvements, as well as entrances into the new addition.

The New Jersey Historic Sites Council recommended approval of the addition on April 17, and stipulated that the expansion must be designed to maintain the historic character of the town, as the Morristown Green's Kevin Coughlin reported. The state Department of Environmental Protection commissioner will have the final say.

Last fiscal year, the MPAC had an approximate $13 million budget — most of the revenue came from ticket sales, rentals, and related fees. The theater reported selling more than 141,000 tickets in the 2022/23 season, with the top performers being comedian Jerry Seinfeld and singer-actress Lea Salonga.

The theater also has several educational outreach programs, free summer concerts, and the Performing Arts School. MPAC also provides tickets to adult residents through social service non-profits, healthcare organizations, and veterans' organizations.

Morristown's zoning board of adjustment meets next on Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the proposal. Meetings take place in Town Hall.