For a number of reasons, the last three parcels of the lauded Epstein’s Redevelopment project continued to languish almost a decade after redevelopment transformed the surrounding neighborhood. Physical conditions including irregular (triangular) shape, topography and adjacent roadways created significant design challenges. These conditions drove increased construction costs that, in the context of a slow economic recovery, created a recipe for continued divestment and decay. As planners for the Town of Morristown, Topology worked with the property owner and two redevelopers to identify a program and design strategy that created beautiful buildings and needed public benefits.

Key insight: projects don’t always materialize as initially expected, therefore flexibility among planners and their plans provides the private-sector an opportunity to respond to ever-evolving market conditions.