Mullica Hill housing development bringing 55-plus buyers to former farmland

HARRISON TWP. — Picking Mullica Hill to build upscale housing for the 55-and-older market turns out to have been the right idea at the right time for the builder and the township.

Orchard View at Mullica Hill opened for sale in October 2022 and the only problem to date is constructing houses fast enough to meet demand, according to developer Bob Meyer. That’s an assessment Harrison Mayor Louis Manzo shares.

Sales have been brisk with 37 houses settled to date and another 53 homes under construction or about to start. says Meyer, who is based in Medford.

“We’re in phase one,” Meyer said. “We just opened up phase two, and that sold out. And we’ve got a little catching up to do from a construction standpoint before we open up the next phases. We’re not going to open up the next phases until after summer.”

Development transforms farm parcels

Orchard View envisions 190 units when the 57-acre site off Woodland Avenue and Swedesboro Road is built out. Harrison gave phase one, with 67 homes, final approval in June 2021.

Manzo has noted the property, formerly two farm parcels, was on the market for more than a decade before being acquired by Meyer. During that time, the property was consider for retail development, such as a shopping center, a food market and even a Walmart, according to the mayor.

A total of five phases are planned with all to be done in a six-year time frame. Orchard View got final approval for phases two through five in September 2022. A boulevard entrance from Main Street is carved out now.

“We’re all in place, ready to go,” Meyer said. “We’re moving forward with the infrastructure in phases three and four now, building a bridge. Going to be starting a clubhouse in the very near future.”

Manzo said saying Orchard View homes are going quickly is an understatement.

“He sold the first 88 units in less than a year,” Manzo said. “And he really only builds like 42 or 43 a year, based on their process. So, he’s booked up through the end of next year. And now, he’s in kind of a freeze mode and will just build things for the next year or so and begin to open up sales on those other phases after this.”

Manzo said a pleasant surprise dealing with buyers is their willingness to spend money to get maximum use of a retirement home.

“He’s got at least two or three (houses) that are over $900,000,” Manzo said. “Which he can’t even believe himself. He's finding that a lot of North Jersey people are moving south. … And the price points in North Jersey are just higher than here. So, people are used to spending $700,000, $800,000 for a house. They’re not even blinking an eye coming down here.”

Orchard View is only the second age-restricted development in the township. Spicer Estates, with 250 homes, was the first a quarter-century ago, also is in Mullica Hill.

Manzo said one reason for township support for Meyer’s proposal was the sense that there was a need for housing for persons 55 and older. And age-restricted developments typically present fewer demands on municipal services, he said.

Orchard View also is directly behind, and a short distance, from the Main Street Historic District. Its residents are a perfect demographic fit for small, downtown businesses, Manzo said.

“They have disposable income,” Manzo said. “Many of them are retired. So, it’s also going to be a nice little ripple effect.”

“We’re thrilled with the project,” Meyer said. “The town’s been great to work with.”

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

Have a tip? Support journalism with a subscription.