Atlantic City Area Developer Plans 69-Unit Affordable Housing Project on Site of Shuttered School in Mays Landing
A Philadelphia-based real estate developer is advancing plans to construct 69 new residential housing units on the site of the former Harold J. Duberson School in Mays Landing, a proposal that would transform a long-vacant educational facility into new housing in an area where affordable residential options remain in short supply.
The project, if approved by local and state regulatory bodies, would represent a meaningful addition to the housing inventory in Mays Landing, the county seat of Atlantic County in southern New Jersey. The Duberson School closed in a previous round of district consolidation and has sat largely unused since, becoming a source of community concern over blight and underutilized public land.
New Jersey is facing a significant housing affordability crisis. Statewide, housing costs have risen sharply over the past several years, driven by a combination of low inventory, high demand from residents seeking alternatives to more expensive urban markets, rising construction costs, and limited new development in many suburban and rural communities. Atlantic County, while generally more affordable than northern New Jersey, is not immune to these pressures.
Housing experts and policy advocates have consistently pointed to adaptive reuse of existing structures, including former schools, churches, and commercial buildings, as a practical and cost-effective strategy for adding residential supply without requiring new land acquisition in already developed areas. Repurposing shuttered public buildings also eliminates long-term municipal maintenance costs associated with vacant properties.
The 69-unit proposal would need to navigate local zoning, planning board approvals, and potentially state environmental review depending on the condition of the existing structure and site. Atlantic County officials and Mays Landing community representatives have not yet publicly taken formal positions on the development, though early discussions reportedly suggest openness to residential redevelopment of the vacant site.
New Jersey’s Council on Affordable Housing framework, along with Fair Share obligations under Mount Laurel doctrine, requires municipalities across the state to plan for and accommodate their fair share of regional affordable housing demand. Developments that include affordable units help municipalities meet these obligations and may qualify for state financing tools through the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
The developer has not yet specified what income targeting the project would carry, meaning it is not yet publicly clear what portion of units, if any, would be designated as income-restricted affordable housing versus market-rate units. That determination will be central to the project’s regulatory path and community reception.
Housing advocates across the state are closely watching projects like the Mays Landing proposal as potential models for addressing New Jersey’s housing needs through creative reuse of existing properties, particularly in communities where new ground-up development faces resistance or land constraints.
Sources
- New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
- Atlantic County Government
