Red Bulls Training Complex Once Again On Docket In Greater Morristown

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — The New York Red Bulls' proposal to build a training facility on Columbia Turnpike was back on the agenda for the Morris Township Planning Board, extending the lengthy approval process.

The team first announced plans to build the training facility on the 80-acre site off Columbia Road back in Oct. 2021, but the process has not yet left the planning board.

According to the Red Bulls, the facility will house the team's front-office staff as well as eight full-size outdoor soccer pitches. The complex will be used by both the Major League Soccer team and their second-tier team, Red Bulls II.

It will also house the New York Red Bulls Academy and Youth Training programs, which are the leading youth soccer development system in North America.

The project has brought up concerns from local residents who are concerned that the increased lighting, as well as the noise level from the speaker system, will disturb the surrounding area.

The development plan includes the construction of soccer training facilities, dormitory buildings, and nine outdoor training fields, seven of which will be grass and two of which will be artificial turf, as well as parking for over 400 vehicles.

According to the planning board documents, there will be six buildings for indoor training, dormitories, a field house, and maintenance and storage space.

The parking lot will be reduced from 3600 spaces when it was Honeywell Industries' former headquarters to 400 spaces.

An earlier site evaluation conducted by the Environmental Commission at the end of June recommended both excavation and ground renovation. The contaminated soil from Honeywell/Allied Chemical ownership will be capped, and non-contaminated soil and gravel will be repurposed for the site, according to the commission.

"The environmental impacts of developing this site plan are generally a lighter impact than alternative uses as high-density residential or office space, with the one major exception being the light pollution from the field lighting," the commission said in a report.

According to the Red Bulls' attorney, the team is doing everything possible to mitigate any negative effects on the community, though there is little chance of no impact at all.

"We are excited that the New York Red Bulls are planning to make Morris Township their future home and looking forward to beginning the approval process with them,” Mayor Jeffrey Grayzel previously said.

The future of the Red Bulls training facility is currently unknown and will have to wait until a planning board meeting in the near future.

The next planning board meeting is set for Sept. 12, but the official agenda has yet to be posted, so it is unclear whether the application will be heard at that time.

"The Red Bulls organization has done a tremendous job contributing to and supporting their local community and creating lifelong fans. We are pleased that the Red Bulls are considering Morris Township for their new facility," Grayzel said.