Shaping the future: Connell’s $400M renovation will turn Park into work-live-play campus built around offices — but featuring inspired amenities
As Shane Connell discusses the $400 million renovation of the Park, which will turn the longtime family-owned 185-acre campus in Berkeley Heights into a transformative work-live-play destination, he says two things distinguish the project:
- The Connell Co. is not a real estate company — it’s a service provider;
- The Park is not a suburban office complex — it’s the future of work.
Therein lies the difference, Connell said.
It’s how and why the Park should not be compared to complexes such as Bell Works or Hudson Yards. And it’s the thought process behind every aspect of a five-year project that aims to be finished in 2024. Upon completion, the Park will feature five updated buildings with 1.5 million square feet of office space — enough for 5,000-6,000 employees, who will have access to more meeting space than ever before. But that’s just the start.
There will be 150,000 square feet of retail. Numerous restaurants and bars. Plenty of indoor-outdoor space and entertainment options, plus wellness amenities. The already-in-use Embassy Suites hotel has 176 guest rooms, 10 meeting rooms and nearly 10,000 square feet of event space.
And, while the project predates the pandemic, its vision could not fit a post-pandemic world any better.