The historic old Bell Labs building in Holmdel, New Jersey, is being converted into a “metroburb,” a giant, indoor “Main Street” that will house stores, a food hall, and technology company offices.
In 2007, Alcatel-Lucent, the company that had taken over Bell Labs from AT&T, shut down operations at the 460-acre site. The question of what to do with the property within the wealthy suburban community lingered for years, after one plan to demolish the building to build housing was shot down. That’s because the Eero Saarinen-designed structure, once described as the “biggest mirror ever,” was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and demolition became unthinkable.
There were no takers for the 2 million sf structure until Ralph Zucker, and his development company, Somerset Development, conceived of the repurposing of the structure into a mixed-use property. It took five years for the town to grant final approval for the purchase, and to have the building rezoned as mixed-use.
There was initial resistance to the plan, but the town has largely embraced the development in the intervening years. The project could become an exemplar for other communities who have giant former corporate headquarters that have outlived their original purpose.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Sep 22, 2021
Illinois’s sweeping climate bill includes statewide stretch code, building electrification measures
Aims for zero-emissions power sector by 2045.
Codes and Standards | Sep 22, 2021
Cities need to step up flood mitigation efforts to save lives
Recent storms highlight climate change dangers.
Codes and Standards | Sep 21, 2021
Steps to improve ventilation for Covid can combat colds and flu
New look at airborne disease spread shows time viruses linger in air may have been underestimated.
Codes and Standards | Sep 15, 2021
USGBC will change leaders, conduct strategic review
Aims to ensure organization is ‘well positioned to scale its work in the post-pandemic world’.
Codes and Standards | Sep 15, 2021
LEED-certified offices earn higher rents than non-sustainable properties
Are also more resilient to dips in real estate market.
Codes and Standards | Sep 7, 2021
Boston turns to developer fees to fund flood protection infrastructure
Assessments on commercial properties will help build seawall and other protective measures.
Codes and Standards | Sep 3, 2021
Low-cost methods can have substantial impact on reducing embodied carbon
Whole-building design, material substitution, and specification strategies can slash carbon by up to 46%.
Codes and Standards | Sep 2, 2021
Case for power resiliency in buildings grows with more disaster and outages
Essential businesses like data centers, hospitals are first adopters of new storage systems.
Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2021
UK industry group wants mandatory whole-life carbon assessments of buildings
Aims to address hidden emissions embedded in supply chains.
Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2021
Home electrification will require code upgrades
Residential electric panel capacity must be increased.