What was once a celebrity estate is now set to become something very different.
Rosie O’Donnell’s former New Jersey mansion, long tied to her name in local chatter, is being reimagined as a townhouse development that includes affordable housing units.
The property, which she sold at a loss back in 2021, is now under the control of luxury builder Toll Brothers.
The project is moving forward under the new title “East Allendale Road plan,” putting to rest years of association with O’Donnell’s ownership.
A Rocky Real Estate Journey
O’Donnell purchased the Saddle River home in 2013 for $6.3 million, hoping to later flip it for a profit.
Two years later she listed the mansion for $7 million but failed to get any offers.
After sitting on the market for five years, she eventually sold it in 2021 for just $5.3 million—taking a $1 million loss, according to reports at the time.
That same year, Saddle Rivers Investors picked up the estate with plans to convert it into 60 housing units, meeting affordable housing requirements in the wealthy town.
Pushback From the Community
Saddle River, known as one of New Jersey’s most affluent communities with a median household income of $228,000, wasn’t quick to embrace the development.
Residents resisted early proposals, raising concerns about traffic congestion and even snow removal.
In 2021, the local planning board rejected the plan to demolish the estate and replace it with 60 townhouses, eight of which would have been designated affordable housing.
Toll Brothers Steps In
Despite the pushback, Toll Brothers eventually purchased the property and drafted a new, slightly smaller plan.
Their latest proposal outlines 54 townhouses, still including eight affordable units.
This scaled-down version appears designed to satisfy both community concerns and legal requirements.
The plan is tied to a 2020 settlement between Saddle River and the Fair Share Housing Center.
That settlement reaffirmed the Mount Laurel Doctrine—a landmark New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that prohibits towns from using zoning laws to exclude lower-income families.
Under the deal, Saddle River must provide 139 affordable housing units overall.
What Comes Next
Public hearings for the new proposal are scheduled to begin on September 9.
The project has been years in the making, and while controversy still lingers, this marks the closest the estate has come to being transformed since O’Donnell sold it.
Daily Mail has reached out to both Toll Brothers and Saddle River Mayor Albert J. Kurpis for comment.
For now, Rosie O’Donnell’s former mansion is shifting from a celebrity landmark into a test case for how one of New Jersey’s wealthiest towns balances exclusivity with affordable housing obligations.