The Connell Co. has broken ground on a 60,000-square-foot retail center in Berkeley Heights, N.J. The property is part of the developer’s master-planned neighborhood, The Park.
The new development will be within The District, the 60-acre retail domain at The Park, formerly known as Connell Corporate Center. This project is part of The Park’s $500 million redevelopment.
The tenant roster in the entertainment building will include Emberside Brewery, Rosa Azul and BASH. The project is slated for completion in 2026.
Bringing the city to the suburbs
The vision for The Park as a 185-acre mixed-use campus includes up to 1.5 million square feet of office, 300,000 square feet of retail and entertainment and 44,000 square feet of coworking space, as well as parks and trails. The office spaces host companies such as L’Oreal, Fiserv and HP. The site also includes a 176-room Embassy Suites hotel. The developers plan to add 328 luxury units to the neighborhood.
The Park encloses The District, which comprises the retail and entertainment centers, and The Grove, which is the sum of all parks and green spaces in the neighborhood.
The Park is on Connell Drive, just off Interstate 78 and near U.S. Highway 22. There are several supermarkets and shopping centers within 5 miles, along the highway. The community is within 5 miles of Passaic River County Park, Nomahegan Park and Ponderosa Farm Park, which surround the property. Manhattan is some 30 miles east.
The project started in the 1980s, with office. In an interview with Commercial Property Executive, the owner’s Executive Vice President Shane Connell talks about the Round Table Studios, the 44,000-square-foot coworking component of The Park.