Township Committee hears assessment, test-fit for 15 Jean Street community center

RSC Architects presented a facility assessment and conceptual plan for converting the vacant building at 15 Jean Street into a senior and recreational community center at the Morris Township Committee meeting on May 21.

The consultant said the existing, L-shaped former day-care building offers roughly 11,630 square feet of gross footprint and about 9,500 square feet of usable interior space; the program the town supplied calls for about 15,150 square feet of facilities, with the largest single need a multipurpose gym or basketball court. "This is a project that has been a vision that was provided by the county in order to take the old day care center, located at 15 Jean Street to renovate that and create a new senior community center and recreational center," RSC architect Carlos Arredondo told the committee.

Arredondo said the team verified existing conditions, scanned the building in 3-D and reviewed hazardous-materials reports. He said the building’s exterior brick and underlying slab appeared serviceable, but interior finishes, restrooms, the kitchen and mechanical systems require replacement; localized mold and water infiltration were noted. He added that classrooms open directly to the exterior now and that many exterior sheds are in poor condition.

The concept plan shown to the committee retains the existing building as the centerpiece and proposes adding a wing to house a multipurpose gym. The architects proposed reorienting the building so the main entry faces an expanded south-side parking area and said civil and grading work would be needed to address a persistent runoff and flooding area behind the building. The concept includes an estimated 75 parking spaces to serve the facility and nearby fields.

On costs, Arredondo cautioned that civil scope and subsurface work remain to be investigated, but offered a planning-level range: "Guesstimating, let's say, anywhere between 2 to 4 for the renovation" (million dollars) and "anywhere between 4 to 5 for the addition," yielding a combined rough estimate of about $7–8 million if the gym is added. He recommended a phased approach so the town can renovate usable portions first and add the multipurpose space later if funding allows.

Committee members asked about accessibility, parking for peak use such as weekend soccer games, and the location of kitchen and locker-room support spaces. Arredondo said the building sits on a single story and that most doorways and paths are already wide; he also noted that the kitchen and some hazardous materials issues are localized and that the project team will study site drainage, wetlands, and the feasibility of solar power as part of follow-up investigations.

No formal action was taken on the presentation. The committee later introduced Ordinance 20-25, an easement agreement with the Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority that references 15 Jean Street; that ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing and final vote on June 18.

Next steps identified in the meeting record include completing site drainage and civil investigations, finalizing hazardous-materials remediation needs, preparing a final report with project costs and a milestone schedule, and holding further public engagement and design phases if the committee proceeds.