Remaking a Formerly State-of-the-Art Corporate Headquarters

Holmdel, New Jersey, was home to a huge, beautiful, and empty headquarters of the now defunct Bell Labs. Now the campus is home to tech startups, a library, and a host of other businesses.

1 minute read

April 20, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Holmdel, New Jersey

MBisanz / Wikimedia Commons

Bell Labs' giant, former headquarters sat empty for years. "The company’s 2 million-square foot complex was zoned for office use by a single tenant. Coming to terms with the impossibility of finding a single tenant for the building, the town’s zoning committee consented to alter the site’s zoning to accommodate multiple uses, "Anthony Paletta writes for CityLab.

A project to revitalize the building included modernizing the utility spaces and getting rid of a lot of cubicles among other things. But the unique building maintains its midcentury charms. "The office floors are now 70 to 80 percent leased by a variety of tenants—mostly tech and coworking companies—and one is headed by a former Bell Labs employee," Paletta writes.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Multicolored tulips in Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles, CA.

Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens

Descanso Gardens, one of Los Angeles County’s most beloved botanical destinations, is welcoming spring with 35,000 tulips in bloom, creating a breathtaking seasonal display expected to peak in late March.

1 minute ago - NBC 4

Power lines and towers at dusk.

Ratepayers Could Be on the Hook for Data Centers’ Energy Use

Without regulatory changes, data centers’ high demand for energy would be subsidized by taxpayers, according to a new study.

1 hour ago - Governing

Yellow bird with black head sitting on power line.

City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity

The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.

2 hours ago - City Nature Challenge