MORRISTOWN — Morris County is beginning construction on a long-planned expansion of its courthouse campus in Morristown, a project county officials say is meant to bring criminal court facilities up to current New Jersey Judiciary standards for security, design, and space. The work is expected to take about 24 months.
The project will add a new eight-story criminal courthouse facility on an open-air parking lot and part of an adjacent pocket park along Schuyler Place, according to the county. Plans call for eight new courtrooms, along with jury assembly areas, judge chambers, and a new main entrance serving both the courthouse complex and the County Administration and Records Building at the corner of Washington Street and Schuyler Place.
County officials stressed that the historic Morris County Courthouse facing Washington Street will not be demolished and is not the site of the new construction. The historic courthouse is expected to remain in use and be preserved. Officials noted that the building recently underwent refurbishing and roof replacement work. The county has also said the expansion is intended to accommodate existing Superior Court judges, staff, and services, rather than to expand court operations.
Public plans presented by the county describe the new courthouse building as an adjacent structure next to the existing Administration and Records Building on Schuyler Place. Officials say the project is meant to address outdated conditions in the current courthouse complex. In 2023, the county described the expansion as an approximately 119,000-square-foot facility with eight courtrooms, a jury assembly room, meeting rooms, security areas, and a secured multi-story glass entrance foyer. County materials from 2022 described a similar courthouse annex with a gross floor area of roughly 117,000 square feet.
The county has framed the project as part of a broader statewide responsibility. In New Jersey, counties are responsible for providing adequate facilities for Superior Court operations. Morris County said it commissioned a space-needs and facilities assessment in 2017, completed in 2018, which identified shortfalls and documented outdated conditions in the current campus. Earlier public updates also described deficiencies involving security, accessibility for people with disabilities, and modern safety systems.
County officials have been discussing the expansion for years. In 2019, the county said it awarded a $3.9 million design contract to AECOM for a secure criminal court facility attached to the Administration and Records Building, with the project planned for the county parking lot off Schuyler Place. At that time, officials described an estimated $106 million overall project, later refined and broken into phases as part of an effort to manage costs. By 2023, the county said the design had been updated from its pre-pandemic version while preserving core elements such as the eight courtrooms, expanded security features, and additional public space.
For residents, workers, and businesses nearby, the most immediate impact will be the disruption along Schuyler Place. The county said the street will be narrowed to a 20-foot travel width, and all but two street parking spaces will be removed during construction. To offset that, Morris County and the Morristown Parking Authority said they have reallocated spaces on the Schuyler Place level of the Ann-Bank Garage at 30 Schuyler Place, marked with a two-hour time limit. Temporary loading and unloading for businesses and residential properties will still be allowed on Schuyler Place.
The county also warned that there may be days when Schuyler Place must be closed intermittently to vehicle traffic, with advance notice promised and Morristown police directing traffic when needed. Construction hours are scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with no evening work anticipated and no work planned on weekends or major holidays. Construction workers will be required to park at Headquarters Plaza in an effort to preserve local parking for residents, shoppers, and employees.
The pocket park facing Washington Street will be inaccessible during construction. County officials said more than 60 percent of that space is expected to be restored as a greenway once the project is complete. They have characterized the expansion as a replacement for older spaces and outdated systems attached to the existing courthouse complex between Court Street and Western Avenue, while preserving the footprint of the historic courthouse itself.
As with any major public works project, the county noted that the timeline could shift because of permitting, supply chains, weather, and field conditions. For now, the main takeaways for Morristown are clear: a long-planned courthouse expansion is finally moving into construction, the historic courthouse will remain standing, and the biggest day-to-day effects for downtown residents and businesses are likely to come from traffic, parking, and access changes along Schuyler Place over the next two years.