Thriving Metroburb

From Abandoned Building to Thriving Metroburb, Bell Works New Jersey Comes Back to Life

Challenge

• The redeveloped Bell Labs Holmdel complex needs enterprise networking throughout the massive facility
• VLANs must be built-in to support private networks for tenants as well as various building services
• The converged network must support a variety of services, including a  building management system, access control, video surveillance, streaming music, and LED lighting

Solution

• Robust, highly secure family of Allied Telesis core and edge switches throughout the building
• VLANs for different services and tenant

Results

• The network supports all manner of uses, including business, retail, hospitality, and entertainment, plus operational functions to run the building
• Pre-built network access is a selling point for prospective tenant

For 40+ years, the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, functioned as a world-renowned research and development facility for the Bell System and later Bell Labs. In 2007, the building was vacated and put up for sale. The iconic edifice sat empty for several years while the township sought redevelopment opportunities. In 2012, opportunity came knocking through the vision of Somerset Development.

Since then, the 2 million square foot building has been masterfully transformed into a publicly accessible destination for shops, restaurants, healthcare, community services, and more. Known as Bell Works New Jersey, the reimagined campus is called a “metroburb”—meaning a little metropolis in the heart of suburbia, with everything you would see in an urban core, all under one roof.

The building’s total available office footprint has been subdivided into various types of office spaces, most of which are ready for immediate occupancy by a wide range of businesses. Everything they need to set up shop is available to them, including network connectivity and internet access.