Sanofi has leased 260,000 square feet at SJP Properties’ M Station West project in Morristown, under one New Jersey’s largest office leases of recent years. — Rendering by Gensler/Courtesy: SJP
By Joshua Burd
Pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is looking to sublease part of its new U.S. headquarters in Morristown, where it’s slated to occupy the new 260,000-square-foot M Station West building currently under construction.
The company this week confirmed that it was marketing a portion of the space on Morris Street, following a blockbuster announcement in March 2023 that it would lease the ground-up, seven-story building from developer SJP Properties. A Sanofi spokesman said the sublease offering was planned for as part of its lease agreement and “has been public since we made the announcement on our move,” adding that it’s still on track for the expected number of employees — 1,900 to 2,000 — to move to M Station by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
Exactly how much space it’s looking to sublease is unclear, although a recent brochure by CBRE said it was marketing three floors of nearly 40,000 square feet each. The brokerage team, which represented Sanofi in its initial lease last year, declined to comment this week.
It’s not uncommon for major corporations to sublease parts of their office space, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of hybrid and remote work schedules. Large blocks are available across New Jersey, even at top-tier locations where companies only recently signed their leases.
Paris-based Sanofi, which has had a major corporate presence in New Jersey for decades, plans to relocate from its sprawling suburban campus in Bridgewater. It will join Deloitte LLP, which occupies M Station’s 110,000-square-foot first phase, as it shifts to what it has said will be a cutting-edge, light-filled facility that will encourage innovation and help the company continue to attract talent.
Construction is quickly advancing at the Gensler-designed building. SJP announced this past January that it had topped out the building, while previewing features such as three separate and active terraces, 20,000 square feet of ground-floor dining space that will be open to the public and an expansive landscaped rooftop with wellness areas for yoga and outdoor movement classes, entertainment and gardens.
M Station’s two buildings will be bridged by a 1,000-car parking structure that includes public parking for the development’s on-site retail and electric vehicle charging stations. To enhance walkability and create a vibrant pedestrian experience, both buildings are set back 45 feet from Morris Street, creating a 10,000-square-foot landscaped promenade and two public plazas with seating, improving the area’s connectivity, particularly between the nearby NJ Transit station and the historic Morristown Green.
SJP breaks ground on 260,000 sq. ft. Sanofi office building at M Station in Morristown
