Post Office Purchase Fails To Get Final Stamp From Morristown Council

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Town council members decided to withdraw from an agreement to purchase the United States Post Office, a deteriorating historic facility on the Morristown Green.

While the Post Office at 1 Morris Street has been in continuous operation for over a century, portions of the 108-year-old building have gone unused, and elements of the property require repair and rehabilitation, as officials said previously.

The council had authorized a $3 million bid last May to buy the 108-year-old building and relocate certain municipal operations, while the Post Office would lease back a portion of the first floor. But after an executive session Tuesday night, officials voted to terminate the agreement.

A report from morristowngreen.com said council members were told renovations would have cost up to $24 million, when Mayor Tim Dougherty originally estimated the building needed $2 million in work.

According to a cornerstone marker placed there by the Morris County Historical Society, the Post Office is on the state and national historic registers.