
Menendez Tours Bell Works: A Fast-Growing Metroburb in Holmdel, NJ
Jersey Jobs Tour Highlights Innovative Mixed-Use Space Bringing New Businesses, New Jobs to Monmouth County

Gazing at this colorful communal workspace, with light beaming in through the glass walls that encompass the building, one might think Bell Works is located in Silicon Valley.
Yet it’s right here in Holmdel, New Jersey — and Senator Bob Menendez wanted to see it for himself.
Bell Works is like a playground for professionals. Perhaps that’s why everyone there seems to have a smile on their faces. The complex takes the co-working trend that’s sweeping cities across America a step further — situating businesses alongside restaurants, health and fitness centers, retail stores, and soon — the Holmdel Public Library.
Repurposing The Past
Inside this historic building used to be Bell Labs — home to eight Nobel Prize winners and groundbreaking inventions that changed communication and technology forever.

Drawing inspiration from its history of innovation, the developers of Bell Works have retrofitted the space into an cutting-edge collaborative office park and community center.
The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, was redesigned to encourage tenants to utilize the public spaces of the building to facilitate collaboration and synergy. All told, Bell Works encompasses two-million square-feet of mixed-use space — that’s roughly the size of the Empire State Building.
Metroburb (n): a little metropolis in a suburban location

Every day, at least a half a million New Jerseyans leave the state to commute to work for employers in Philadelphia and New York City. Situated between the two cities, the developers behind Bell Works had something different in mind. Their goal is to create a vibrant “metroburb,” or urban hub within suburban Monmouth County that gives business leaders and employees alike a reprieve from lengthy commutes.
It’s truly a one-stop shop for people to live, work, and play. Bell Works will soon house fitness centers and medical offices, a shopping mall, restaurants, a daycare and even a hotel. Employees won’t need to stress out about running errands or grabbing food before or after work; everything they need is right here in a six-story complex that spans nearly quarter-mile.
Creating Jobs by Attracting Businesses to New Jersey
For big companies looking to relocate or startups deciding where to put down new roots, Bell Works has given them a reason to give New Jersey a second look.
“This kind of innovative concept can draw jobs, as we’ve already seen, from neighboring states. Using innovation and ingenuity to grow our economy, it’s something that we not only want to applaud but replicate across the state.”
— US Senator Bob Menendez.
Earlier this year, the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America announced it would relocate several hundred employees out of Manhattan and into an exciting new space at Bell Works. And the building has also attracted fast-growing technology companies like Vydia, which helps internet sensations earn revenue from their viral content, and WorkWave, a provider of cloud-based fleet management solutions.
Bob had the chance to speak with Shawn Cantor, COO of WorkWave, during his tour. Shawn discussed how the urban amenities and central location offered by Bell Works serve as a selling point for employees who are tired of long commutes to the city.

Currently 20% occupied and 80% leased, Bell Works has attracted a diverse swath of businesses, including the talent acquisition technology company iCIMS — one of Forbes’ Top 100 fastest-growing private cloud companies in the United States; Jersey Central Power & Light; and the telecommunications company MelTel.
Executives with Jersey Central Power & Light updated Bob on the recent relocation of their Central Jersey operations center to Holmdel. Their new home at Bell Works puts them closer to the community colleges they partner with on workforce development. In the Senate, Bob recently introduced the BEST for America’s Workforce Act to dramatically expand federal investments in these kind of job training partnerships
Bob also had the chance to speak with former Tribeca Grill chef Richard Corbo and renowned wine sommelier Chantelle Corbo. Together, they’re working to curate and operate a food hall inside Bell Works that will match its creative atmosphere.
“We’re thrilled that Senator Menendez was able to experience, firsthand, the transformation that is occurring here in Holmdel,” said Somerset Development President Ralph Zucker, the project’s developer. “We’re proving that we can attract, retain, and create jobs here in the Garden State by reshaping the work environment.”
Yet Bob’s visit to Bell Works was not the only stop in Monmouth County for his Jersey Jobs Tour. Up next, the Senator heads to the Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor to meet with local fishermen, charter boat captains and small business owners.
Originally published at medium.com on August 9, 2017.

