PARSIPPANY — Out with the old, in with the new. The office building at 30 Lanidex Plaza is being demolished to pave the way for a new warehouse development. This decision comes after the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council unanimously voted in 2023 to declare both 20 and 30 Lanidex Plaza West as “areas in need of redevelopment.”
Constructed in 1987, the 56,230-square-foot building has been vacant for some time. The three-story, Class B office space offered typical floor plates of 17,119 square feet and had 200 surface parking spaces. Formerly home to Solix Corporation, the building underwent over $2 million in renovations 15 years ago. At its peak, it housed over 400 employees. However, following Solix’s relocation to 10 Lanidex West during the pandemic, 30 Lanidex struggled to attract new tenants and has remained unoccupied.
The redevelopment process began in earnest on May 1, 2023, when the Parsippany-Troy Hills Planning Board held a public hearing and concurred with findings in a Preliminary Investigation. The investigation determined that the property met the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law (LRHL) criteria for a non-condemnation designation in need of redevelopment. Subsequently, the Township Council adopted Ordinance 2023:09, approving the 20-30 Lanidex Plaza West Redevelopment Plan. The Planning Board will review development applications once they are submitted.
Public records show that the property was purchased on April 16, 2019, for $4.7 million by 20-30 Lanidex LLC Signature Acquisitions. The property’s history stretches back to its days as part of a dairy farm owned by Rudolf Olsen. Adjacent to the site is the historically significant Governor Livingston House, a protected structure on the National Register.
The original zoning designated the area as ROL (Research, Office, Laboratory), intended to encourage ratables while preserving the surrounding residential character. Design requirements for this zone included congruent architectural styles and landscaping to minimize visual and environmental impact. Additionally, the land could not be subdivided into smaller parcels.
While 30 Lanidex was developed in 1987, plans for a second building, 20 Lanidex, never materialized. During Solix Corporation’s tenure at 30 Lanidex, increased parking needs prevented further development. However, as Solix relocated and the pandemic shifted market dynamics, the property remained vacant, leaving the developer with limited options.
In July 2024, despite significant public opposition, the Township Planning Board approved a plan to replace 30 Lanidex with a warehouse. This marks a shift from the office park’s original vision, but the new development is expected to address the property’s prolonged vacancy and provide economic benefits to the township.
In November 2024, a joint venture plans some 140,000 square feet of new logistics space after acquiring an aging office building just south of Interstate 80.
The team — which includes Altman Logistics Properties, the family office Renard Investments, and DHS Real Estate Investment Management B.V. — expects to break ground in early 2025 and deliver the project at 30 and 20 Lanidex Plaza West roughly a year later. This will remove another obsolete office property from the township and bring a new warehouse to what it says is a land-constrained market with continued strong demand for modern space.
As Parsippany continues to evolve, the redevelopment of 30 Lanidex Plaza symbolizes the challenges of adapting to changing market demands while balancing historic preservation and community interests.
