A $500 million redevelopment is turning a former Union County office park into one of New Jersey’s most ambitious mixed-use destinations.
Berkeley Heights probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of walkable, live-work-play destination. But that’s about to change.
The Park—formerly known as Connell Corporate Park—is in the middle of a massive transformation that is turning a 185-acre suburban office campus into a genuine neighborhood, built from scratch, in the middle of Union County. Walkable, mixed-use communities are nothing new in New Jersey, but still, The Park is unlike anything we’ve seen in the state.
What’s Being Built
At the heart of the project is The District at The Park—a 60-acre plot anchored by a walkable main street, featuring roughly 160,000 square feet of retail, dining, entertainment space, and 328 apartment units. The Connell Company, which began the redevelopment all the way back in 2019, has already secured lease agreements for 37,000 square feet of that space.
The campus has momentum. A 176-room Embassy Suites Hotel, a 112,000-square-foot Life Time Fitness center, Starbucks, and more than 1.5 million square feet of office space—97% occupied—are already operating on the property.
What’s Coming This Summer
New stores will open as early as this summer—six new tenants are set to open beginning in July 2026.
For food and beverage: Four Spoons Ice Cream Company brings a family-owned ice cream shop, Doner Shack arrives with Mediterranean street food and kebabs, and Cafe Exchange will offer premium coffee, food, and wine in a two-floor space.
Wellness and retail round out the mix. Prime IV Hydration & Wellness will open a spa-like facility offering IV vitamin infusions, Dogtopia will provide dog daycare, boarding, and spa services. Finally, Greatness Wins—an athletic apparel brand co-founded by Derek Jeter and Misty Copeland—will open its flagship store at The Park.
More Coming in the Fall
The summer additions are just the start. A separate group of tenants is expected to debut in fall 2026, including Emberside Brewery, Rosa Azul, and BASH—multiple bars, event spaces, and duckpin bowling.
The Bigger Picture
The Park is less of a new development and more of a bet on what suburban New Jersey can become.
The old model—drive in, sit at a desk, drive home—is giving way to something more layered. Dining, retail, bowling, ice cream, and more, all within walking distance of a hotel, apartments, and office space. It’s shaping up to be the kind of mixed-use development that operates as a one-stop spot for everything you need. Spend a Saturday perusing the grounds, or maybe it’s where your new apartment lives.
With $500 million fueling it, The Park is an ambitious vision. Based on what’s already opened, it’s working.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.