775,000-Square-Foot Warehouse Planned On Mori Tract In Secaucus

SECAUCUS, NJ — The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) gave Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc. preliminary approval to build a large warehouse off Paterson Plank Road in Secaucus.

Hartz is planning to build a 775,000-square-foot warehouse at 100 Paterson Plank Road, in between Westside Avenue and Park Plaza Drive.

The wooded marshland is known as the Mori Tract and it is one of the last undeveloped pieces of land in Secaucus. It's 136 acres total, but only about 70 acres are buildable because the rest is all swamp. The NJSEA has control over how the land is used because it's part of the Hackensack River tidal estuary.

Hartz calls their proposed warehouse the "Meadowlands Logistics Center" and they published renderings of how it will look here: https://www.hartzmountain.com/...

Hartz says they will build it to be a warehouse/distribution center, possibly an Amazon distribution center. Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnell said it will not be a data center, but Hartz appears to be leaving options open to make it a data center. Here's how Hartz described it in this commercial property listing for the property:

"±775,000 SF Build-To-Suit Industrial/Distribution/Data Center. Total Building Size: 775,000 SF. Dock Doors: 187. Car Parking: 436 (134 banked car parking spaces) Trailer Parking: 232. Occupancy: Build to suit (18 month schedule). Located in the heart of the Meadowlands within the New Jersey industrial market, Meadowlands Logistics Center provides immediate access to New York City and the Tri-State Region, the United States’ largest and most concentrated consumer and business base."

Here's more evidence it could become a data center:

"Additionally, the site sits adjacent to a confluence of fiber providers and two electrical substations lending the possibility for modern data center users," Hartz described the property on their website. "For users with specific needs or build-to-suit requirements, the proposed development can be modified to suit your needs."

If it does indeed become a data center, at 775,000 square feet, it would be one of the largest data centers in the entire state. Hartz proposes it would open in 2027, but they are looking for a tenant to sign a lease this year.

In a 15-0 vote, the NJSEA gave their approval at their Dec. 18 meeting; see page 8 of their Dec. 18, 2025 meeting summary.

Gonnelli said this week the town of Secaucus does not have any initial objections to the property becoming a warehouse. The property is zoned industrial.

(Hartz could have tried to change the zoning to make it residential, which is something the town did not want. If the Mori Tract zoning was changed to residential, it would have been bigger than the Harmon Cove townhomes development.)

The town of Secaucus first told the public about the Mori Tract in a 2023 update on the town website: https://www.secaucusnj.gov/gov...

Here is what the town of Secaucus says about that lot:

"Known as the Mori tract, for its former owner Eugene Mori, the parcel is about 128 acres of which approximately 68 acres are buildable. This is the largest open tract left in town. The parcel is currently owned by Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc., which is clearing the area and carrying out the necessary environmental remediation. Hartz Mountain is working with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (“NJSEA”) on plans for a large warehouse; if approved, Hartz will work with the town on construction approvals. At this time, details about the timeline or potential tenants are not known.

"During the drawing up of the NJSEA Master Plan, Mayor Gonnelli and the Town Council ensured the Mori Tract was zoned for commercial development and not residential use. If this zoning designation was not approved, the Mori tract could have been developed into one of the largest residential communities in Secaucus.

"While Mayor Gonnelli and the Town Council cannot stop privately owned land from being developed, they are committed to preserving as much open space as possible for recreational use by residents. They also consistently work with the NJSEA, which has zoning authority on 88% of the land in Secaucus, to promote development that works best for the town and its residents. The Mayor and Council are pleased this large tract of land is not being developed for residential purposes as such a development would have impacted our school system and other municipal services."