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Schools and Local Government · September 2, 2026
· 3:30 PM · 2 minutes read

Middletown Releases Plans for 450-Home Development at Former Circus Liquors Site

Newly released settlement documents include a concept plan and architectural renderings for a proposed 450-home development at the former Circus Liquors property.

Middletown Township has published the full settlement agreement and conceptual renderings showing what a proposed 450-home development at the former Circus Liquors property could look like.

The newly released plans show a mix of traditional townhomes, stacked townhomes and affordable flats, along with internal roads, parking, amenity areas and open space. The settlement between Middletown and AAMHMT Property LLC remains subject to court approval at an October 2 fairness hearing.

As Public Record NJ reported previously, the hearing is the latest development in a years-long builder’s remedy dispute over the Route 35 property.

What the plans show

The concept plan divides the proposed housing among 170 traditional townhomes, 226 stacked townhomes and 54 affordable flats, for a total of 450 units. The 54 flats would be located in two 27-unit buildings.1

Development layout concept. Source: AAMHMT settlement agreement, p. 28.

The plan shows internal roads and sidewalks connecting the different housing types, along with parking, amenity areas and green-infrastructure stormwater facilities. It also identifies wetlands and wetland-transition areas and labels an approximately 64,000-square-foot area near Kings Highway East as a proposed preservation area.1

The exhibits provide a closer look at the types of housing contemplated for the property, with separate architectural renderings for traditional townhomes, stacked townhomes and an affordable building.2

Traditional townhome concept rendering. Source: AAMHMT settlement agreement, p. 30.
Stacked townhome concept rendering. Source: AAMHMT settlement agreement, p. 31.
Affordable housing building concept rendering. Source: AAMHMT settlement agreement, p. 32.

The renderings are conceptual rather than final construction plans. The settlement states that the development has not yet been fully engineered, and the concept plan is marked “FOR SETTLEMENT PURPOSES ONLY.”1

What the agreement establishes

The amended redevelopment standards require 15% of the development to be set aside as affordable housing, or 68 of the 450 units.3

The agreement also calls for at least 67,500 square feet of amenity space and establishes development standards covering building heights, setbacks, parking, landscaping and buffering.3

Those standards provide a framework for the proposed development rather than final site-plan approval. Additional plans would remain subject to municipal review, including contemplated Planning Board proceedings.

What happens next

A fairness hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2026, when the court will consider whether to approve the settlement. If approved, the agreement would resolve the builder’s remedy litigation while the proposed development would remain subject to subsequent municipal review and approvals.

The complete settlement agreement, concept plan and architectural renderings are available through Middletown Township, allowing residents to review the proposal ahead of the hearing.

Notes

  1. 2026.08.06 Settlement Agreement—AAMHMT—Fully Executed, concept plan, PDF page 28.
  2. 2026.08.06 Settlement Agreement—AAMHMT—Fully Executed, architectural-rendering exhibits, PDF pages 30–32.
  3. 2026.08.06 Settlement Agreement—AAMHMT—Fully Executed, amended Circus Liquors redevelopment standards for Block 825, Lot 55.01, PDF page 34.