7 New Businesses Coming To Holmdel's Bell Works

HOLMDEL, NJ — Seven new businesses have either opened or will open this spring on the ground-floor atrium at Bell Works, among them a jewelry store, a florist and the offshoot of a popular Red Bank hair salon. It's all part of Somerset CEO Ralph Zucker's vision to transform Bell Works into a self-contained business and retail "mini city" off the Parkway in pastoral Holmdel.

The seven newest retail tenants that have signed leases with Somerset are:

• Hummus & Pita, a New York-City based restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare such as falafel, gyro, shawarma, grape leaves and fresh-baked pita and laffa bread.
• Alchemist Jewelers, a locally-based purveyor of custom designed and manufactured jewelry. Its store in Bell Works will be able to print jewelry designs in 3-D, allowing customers to see their prospective purchases come to life before it is manufactured.
• Bell Market, a food hall helmed by restaurant chef Richard J. Corbo and sommelier Chantelle Corbo, which will bring a culinary destination complete with a variety of food and fine wines to Bell Works.
• Booskerdoo, a microroaster of fine coffee and bakery.
• Holmdel Florist, gourmet food and floral gift provider.
• Salon Concrete hair and beauty salon. The company is widely recognized for its first location in Red Bank.
• @ Your Convenience, a store offering a variety of everyday items, including snacks, select groceries, toiletries, newspapers, and more.

Booskerdoo coffee shop and the newspaper stand/convenience store are already in operation. The other businesses will open sometime this spring.

Somerset purchased the historic Bell Labs research facility in 2013 for $27 million, renamed it Bell Works and is in the middle of an ambitious redevelopment project there.

There were originally plans to open an assisted living/nursing home at Bell Works, but that has been scrapped. New ideas include a possible beer garden and even a large entertainment complex, said Justin Korinis of Sabre Real Estate Group, Bell Works' leasing agents. At the time these seven leases were executed, Colliers was the exclusive retail broker; Sabre is the current retail brokerage team.

As Patch reported, the Holmdel Public Library moved a massive space on the Bell Works ground floor this winter, and the Holmdel Planning Board just granted permission for the construction of a 200-room hotel on the building’s roof. There will also be an infinity pool and bar on the roof; the top photo is a rendering of what the bar will look like.

The rooftop deck/lounge at Bell Works already opened last year.

A Holmdel Montessori School is supposed to open adjacent to the library on the ground floor, but an opening date has not been revealed. It will be open to children from infants (six weeks or older) to kindergarten (up to six years old).

"The continued growth of Bell Works’ retail scene will add an entirely new dimension to our metroburb," said Zucker. "In short time, workers and members of the public alike will be able to walk along our pedestrian street and access nearly anything that exists in an exciting urban downtown, all in a great suburban location.”

To date, Somerset has leased more than 75 percent of its one million square feet of office space at Bell Works.

The anchor tenants at Bell Works are software company iCIMS and WorkWave, a cloud-based business management firm. Other prominent commercial tenants that have signed leases at Bell Works include International Flavors & Fragrances, Acacia Communications, JCP&L and MetTel. Guardian Life Insurance is expected to move its technology operations into the building, too.

The state of New Jersey gave iCIMS and WorkWave millions in tax breaks in exchange for choosing to relocate to Bell Works: iCIMS was approved for a 10-year, $38 million tax credit by the state and WorkWave was granted a $15.7 million tax break from the state in return for moving there. Read: $42 Million in New Tax Breaks Given to Entice Companies to Bell Works

Ongoing Patch reporting on what's going on at Bell Works in Holmdel:

Holmdel Planning Board Approves 200-Room Bell Works Hotel

First Look At The New Holmdel Library!

$42 Million in New Tax Breaks Given to Entice Companies to Bell Works

Photos taken by Carly Baldwin/Patch; renderings provided to Patch.