The Connell Company Unveils Plans For “The District” at The Park in Berkeley Heights, NJ

After receiving approval for the final site plan from the Berkeley Heights Planning Board in September, The Connell Company has announced plans to expand its ambitious reimagining of The Park — a 185-acre live-work-play campus that delivers a hospitality-centric solution to the traditional shopping, dining, and work environments — with the addition of “The District”, a mixed-use development that will transform the campus as a dynamic place for its tenants and an attractive destination for the surrounding communities. As part of this connective second phase, The District will include the construction of five new buildings that bring 328 residential units and 190,000 square feet of entertainment, dining and retail offerings to a central pedestrian corridor known as Main Street. ”The Connell Company is proud to introduce our plans for The District, a mixed-use pedestrian corridor that will complement The Park’s five existing state-of-the-art office buildings, Embassy Suites hotel, Grain & Cane restaurant, Starbucks and Life Time Fitness center,” said Shane Connell, Executive Vice President at The Connell Company. “This high-quality assemblage of residences, restaurants, retail and recreational space will afford guests with an array of new lifestyle amenities, as well as provide our existing and future office tenants with the modern work environment needed to attract and retain top talent. We look forward to opening the first of these spaces in Fall of 2025.” In order to help meet the growing demand for modern rental housing, and offer office tenants in The Park with a campus housing solution, two of The District’s five buildings will be residential: The North building will span 218,145 square feet and contain 179 apartments, while the 269,265-square-foot South building will offer 149 apartments. Both buildings will feature a fitness center, indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, street front retail and parking garages for residents and retail customers. A third building will encompass 81,715 square feet that is fully dedicated to entertainment, including a brewery, covered garden and event space, Mexican restaurant and an Italian steakhouse, and a bar and duckpin bowling nightlife entertainment concept. Also along Main Street will be two retail buildings, one of which includes 30,515 square feet for a spa, restaurant and street front retail. The fifth building offers 25,755 square feet of retail space and a loading dock for two large format retailers. The District, which offers an abundance of outdoor areas, will help to achieve The Park’s goal of connecting office tenants, residents and visitors with nature. In addition to the completion of a trail system encompassing The Park, The District will feature a park that provides entertainment and meeting spaces, as well as a playground with custom play equipment. “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.” The multigenerational Connell Company has positioned The Park to help the campus’ business community attract top-tier talent with services and amenities unavailable anywhere else in the Northeast. The campus is already a popular regional destination that includes the offices of marquis companies such as L’Oreal, Fiserv, Bristol Myers, HP and Samsung; as well as a 176-room Embassy Suites hotel, Grain & Cane Restaurant, Starbucks, Life Time Fitness, outdoor walking and jogging trails, and Round Table Studios — a 40,000-square-foot coworking space that offers a curated selection of thoughtfully designed workstations, private offices and community spaces. Completion of The District is slated for 2025. For more information, visit

https://theparkatnj.com/.