A $400 million hospitality-centric redevelopment in Berkeley Heights will be moving forward with its second phase in the coming months as officials have signed off on a plan that will add new residences and entertainment options to the former site of a suburban office park.
The Connell Company recently obtained approval from the Berkeley Heights Planning Board to expand The Park, a 185-acre live-work-play campus situated on land once home to the Connell Corporate Park. The initial portion of the development included 2.25 million square feet of offices home to companies such as L’Oreal, Fiserv, Bristol Myers, HP, and Samsung as well as a 176-room Embassy Suites hotel restaurants alongside outdoor walking and jogging trails.
The second portion, dubbed The District, will consist of a mixed-use development that looks to transform the campus into an attractive destination for the surrounding communities. As part of this connective second phase. The entire phase is set to include the construction of five new buildings with 328 residential units and 190,000 square feet of entertainment, dining, and retail options.
“As evidenced by The Park’s leasing success to date, there is a proven need for mixed-use spaces that facilitate a connected community with an emphasis on hospitality, health and wellness,” said Stephen Kilroy, Senior Vice President of Hospitality and Marketing at The Connell Company. “The District — which adds family-oriented entertainment, athletic facilities and walking space to our plethora of existing fitness, nutrition and co-working offerings — will further our ability to meet the lifestyle needs of the surrounding community.”
Two of The District’s five buildings will be residential, splitting the living spaces between a North building containing 179 apartments and a South complex that will include 149 units. Both buildings will feature a fitness center, indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, street-front retail and parking garages for both residents and retail customers.
A third building will be fully dedicated to entertainment and include a brewery, covered garden, event space, Mexican restaurant, Italian steakhouse, and a bar with duckpin bowling nightlife entertainment concept.
The remaining two buildings will also focus on retail, with one spanning 30,515 square feet and sporting a spa and restaurant and the other including 25,755 square feet of space plus a loading dock for two large format retailers.
The development of The District will complete a trail system that spans The Park while also adding a greenspace that provides entertainment and meeting spaces as well as a playground with custom play equipment. The Connell Company expects construction on The District portion of their sprawling development to wrap up sometime in 2025.
