A former furniture store in Morris County could be replaced by a six-story apartment building, new townhouses, and storefronts under a redevelopment plan that would add up to 141 homes near downtown Dover.
The Dover Town Council approved the plan on October 13 for the former Harry Loory Furniture Store property at 1 Towpath Square, moving forward with a redevelopment effort discussed for years. The approval came in a 4-3 vote, according to DoverNow.
The roughly one-acre property sits near downtown Dover and the town’s train station, with land along Bassett Highway, Prospect Street, East Blackwell Street and Dewey Avenue.
Under the new plan, the larger portion of the property could become a six-story building with up to 136 apartments and businesses on the ground floor. The building could reach 65 feet in height and would need to include at least 4,200 square feet of commercial space. That space could be used for stores, restaurants, cafés, offices, or other businesses. At least half of the building’s street frontage along Bassett Highway would have to be set aside for commercial uses.
A smaller section of the property could accommodate five townhouses, each rising up to three stories. That portion would also include at least 1,500 square feet of commercial space, bringing the minimum commercial space across the entire property to 5,700 square feet. Together, the two sections could bring as many as 141 homes to the former furniture store property.
The project would also need parking for residents and businesses, along with bicycle spaces and electric-vehicle charging facilities.
Affordable housing is expected to be part of the redevelopment as well. Dover’s 2025 housing plan identifies the former furniture store property as a location expected to provide 17 affordable homes. However, the newly adopted redevelopment plan leaves the final affordable-housing requirements to an agreement between the town and the developer, including any changes permitted under state law.
This isn’t the first attempt to bring new housing to the property.
In 2018, Dover conditionally selected Towpath Realty LLC to pursue redevelopment of the site. A later proposal called for a nine-story building containing 95 apartments, along with seven townhouses. That earlier development received approval in 2022 but had not been built when Morris County updated its construction records in 2023.
The latest plan would allow more homes overall while reducing the main building’s maximum height from nine stories to six. It would also reduce the number of proposed townhouses from seven to five.
Although the council has approved the new development rules, that doesn’t mean construction is ready to begin. The developer must still complete an agreement with Dover and obtain Planning Board approval for the building designs, parking, landscaping, and other details.
The property is also within Dover’s historic district, meaning the project would require review by the town’s Historic Preservation Commission.
No construction schedule has been announced.
For now, the council’s approval opens the door for new housing and businesses on the former furniture store property near the heart of Dover.
