DUI Lawyers in Berkeley Heights, NJ

Slated to open in 2026, a new entertainment building at The Park in Berkeley Heights will bring a brewery, multiple restaurants and bowling lanes to The Connell Co.’s flagship campus. — Rendering by Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners/Courtesy: Connell

By Joshua Burd

Lunch at The Park in Berkeley Heights isn’t what it used to be, especially at the office building known as RT 300. That’s where The Connell Co. recently unveiled a series of modern, inviting dining and social spaces for tenants, from an expansive food hall to a cocktail lounge and game room — all with custom furniture, bright millwork and other upscale touches.

Like many other parts of the sprawling campus, they’re also available for the public to rent.

“These are now all event spaces,” Shane Connell, executive vice president of The Connell Co., said during a recent tour of the space. “We now have an event calendar and brochure that shows that you can rent this socially for evening activations or corporate events — so the design had to be nice enough that it felt not like a cafeteria, but a fine dining institution that’s rentable.”

It’s an early glimpse of Connell’s plan to open The Park to the public — from wine tastings and cooking classes to 50^th birthday parties like the kind it hosted last fall — as part of a decade-long, $500 million update of the campus. That plan will grow exponentially next year, with construction now underway on a 60,000-square-foot entertainment building that will house a brewery, several restaurants and bowling lanes, creating a new destination for both nearby residents and workers from the property’s 1.5 million square feet of office space.

Connell has also broken ground on the first of two luxury apartment buildings that are slated for the 185-acre property, which is just south of Interstate 78 and 22 miles from Manhattan, with additional plans for ground-up retail space along the new pedestrian corridor.

“The goal is a 20-minute neighborhood — everything you need is within 20 minutes,” said Connell, whose family built the campus starting in the early 1980s. Today, its five office buildings are home to the likes of Fiserv, HP, Samsung and dozens of other companies with a combined 9,000 employees, who occupy the site alongside a 176-room Embassy Suites hotel, Life Time Fitness and acres of outdoor space.

Connell’s plan is ambitious, complex and painstakingly integrated — all with a level of branding and merchandising that is unlike anything at other commercial properties in the state. At full build-out, The Park will have more than 20 standalone brands operating on the site, from original restaurants like Emberside Brewery to its Fieldhouse health and fitness club. There’s also Table & Banter, the on-site catering and hospitality company, and even plans for a line of original craft beers that honor the Connell family’s roots as the world’s largest rice trader.

Many of those concepts will be woven into a master brand known as Round Table or RT, which the firm has assigned to its office space, the new apartment buildings and, eventually, the hotel.

“This is the biggest difference between us and what other people are thinking,” Connell said, striking a comparison to other mixed-use campuses. “When we think about culinary, wellness and hospitality, we said ‘Let’s actually create brands that support that.’”

SLIDESHOW: Upgrades at RT 300 and 400

RT 300

They’re on full display at The Park’s three multitenant office buildings and its coworking space — known as Round Table Workspaces and Round Table Studios, respectively — which served as the starting point for the repositioned campus. The developer began by modernizing 200 Connell Drive roughly six years ago, adding a jewel box façade, upscale dining options and its first Fieldhouse location. That gave way to a full-building, 428,000-square-foot lease with Fiserv Inc. at Building 100, followed by the most recent upgrades at buildings 300 and 400, including the new Table & Banter Market, cocktail lounge and other spaces that serve both buildings, as well as a larger version of the health and fitness club.

Already, the updates have been critical for many of the 40 or so companies that occupy The Park, especially smaller tenants that hope to lure their employees back to the office.

“For companies that are working on their own floorplate and having to generate all that interest internally, it’s a big task,” said David Sullivan, a New York City-based designer who recently joined Connell’s on-site team. “So this supportive infrastructure really helps people with that effort, to get people interested in coming back to the office, creating that culture and doing a lot of that development that would be prohibitive for a lot of companies to do themselves.”

Sullivan, who is among several consultants, chefs and other professionals that Connell has recruited from New York City, is the mastermind of the high-end, custom furniture that appears throughout Round Table Workspaces and Round Table Studios. He’s also guiding the interior design, branding and concepts that will permeate The Park’s next phases, including the new apartment buildings and shopping, dining and entertainment hub known as The District, working alongside Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners as the architect of record.

The first apartment building is now rising just outside RT 300 and 400, with plans calling for 179 rental homes slated to open in 2026, giving way to a second phase with another 149 units. The District is also under construction and on track to open next year, creating a new center of the campus with multiple food concepts, including:

SLIDESHOW: The District

The building, which will be adjacent to a custom playground, will feature a sleek seating area that transforms from indoor to outdoor space through signature guillotine glass doors designed by Seatle-based Olson Kundig. That’s in addition to some 60,000 square feet of street-level retail space that Connell is now marketing to would-be tenants, alongside a planned 20,000-square-foot spa by New York City-based Bathhouse.

Upon completion, the corridor will be akin to a Main Street that connects office users at RT 300 and 400 to the Embassy Suites.

“This is a 10-year plan, and we’re a little bit more than halfway,” Connell said. “It’s one thing to build a great yard, but if your house isn’t great, no one’s going to buy that house.

“So we had to fix the house first,” he added, referring to the modernized office space, “and now we’re building the yard. That’s the phasing and that’s the program.”

Notably, renters at RT Residences will have membership to Fieldhouse 400, the full-service health club for RT 300 and 400. Connell also recently launched a public membership program for the gym that’s available to the community at large, while it plans to roll out a “social membership” known as Penta that will provide even broader access to The Park’s services and amenities, offering VIP access to restaurants, use of the facilities and other perks.

Whether the public takes to the social club concept remains to be seen, Connell said, but the new offerings will undoubtedly boost the value of the office space.

“We’re going to do this because it’s a tenant amenity,” he said. “And then the question is: Is there a culture of people that have left New York City, where there is a social club scene that’s really popular, and they’re coming out here, where a golf course is maybe the only opportunity for them to join some sort of club? So is there is a social need of young millennials who are coming to the suburbs looking for something?

“We’ll see. We have to do it anyway.”

Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM

Berkeley Heights Municipal Complex, 29 Park Ave, Berkeley Heights, NJ, 07922

In partnership with the Friends of the Berkeley Heights Public Library, BHPL is hosting an Edible Book Contest on Saturday, April 26, from 11 AM to 1 PM. This contest, which will take place in the Highlander Room on the first floor of the Berkeley Heights Municipal Complex at 29 Park Ave., is a wonderful way to celebrate books, art, food, and culture, and is open to ALL.

Whether you’re a regular library patron, a Berkeley Heights community member, or simply a book lover, join us for a lighthearted culinary, artistic, and literary celebration, focused on edible creations inspired by literary works.

Viewing and tasting will be free, with creations laid out on tables for people to peruse, sample, and vote for. Prize categories include most creative use of edible materials, most realistic, and most tasty.

Asked about the upcoming event, Amy Steinbauer, Library Director of the BHPL replied “Join us for a fun and delicious event at the library and your entry fee will help support more of these and all our wonderful programs in the future. Put your culinary skills and humor to the test, and then challenge your neighbor, friends, and family to try to beat you!”

Every Friends of BHPL member can enter an edible creation for free. Other contest entrants pay a small entry fee of $30 for individuals, $45 for groups, or can join the Friends before the contest to qualify for a free entry. Local businesses can enter for free. Prizes will include donations from local businesses and all funds raised will directly support library programs.

Submissions must be constructed of edible materials and be accompanied by the list of ingredients. Each edible creation should be a representation of a literary work or evocative of books in general. Edible books can look like a book in form and shape, be inspired by a book or author, be a pun of a book title, refer to a book character, reproduce a book cover, or simply have something to do with books.

Crepes of Wrath? Game of Scones? The Handmaid’s Tamale? Entries can be fun, creative, and even a pun, so come on out and express yourself! For more information, including contest details and instructions, please visithttps://bhplnj.org/about-us/bhpl-friends/.

The Friends of the Berkeley Heights Public Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting the Berkeley Heights Public Library and the community. The Friends support the library through direct financial assistance, event sponsorship, volunteer services, and promotion.

Discover all the Berkeley Heights Public Library has to offer including Museum Passes, Library of Things, and programs for all ages. Check out the website at bhplnj.org and come sign up for a library card today! The library is located at 29 Park Avenue, Second Floor.

Contact: Sharon Loeb

Board President, Friends of the Berkeley Heights Public Library Friends@bhplnj.org

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ - Your public library is so much more than books! Join us at the Berkeley Heights Public Library, 29 Park Avenue, as we celebrate National Library Week (April 6-12) with a showcase of our Library of Things Collection. Everything will be on display on Saturday, April 12 from 10 am – 12 noon. Now featuring over 60 items, this collection continues to grow and offer our patrons a source of entertainment and enrichment.

Do you have a Niintendo Switch system? Try a new game from our collection without the cost of buying one.

Having a spring picnic or party? Check out some of our lawn games like SpikeBall, Lawn Darts, or Yardzee.

Sign Up for FREE Berkeley Heights Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

Interested in stargazing? Explore the universe with our telescope.

Need a gadget? We have a power washer for spring cleanups, a halo light for making videos and a universal adaptor if you are traveling.

Kids need a new toy? Try Andy the Coding Robot or one of our Toniebox players.

A rainy weekend with nothing to do? Check out some of our board games like Sushi Go or Scrabble.

There is something for everyone in this collection. Come to the library on Saturday, April 12 from 10 am -12 pm to see for yourself. And don’t forget to ask about new books in the collection, our digital collections, and our popular Museum Pass program. National Library Week is a great time to explore all your local library has to offer. Check bhplnj.org for more information.

Editor's Note: This advertorial content is being published by TAPinto.net as a service for its marketing partners. For more information about how to market your business or nonprofit on TAPinto, please visit TAPintoMarketing.net or email contact@tapinto.net. The opinions expressed herein, if any, are the writer's alone, and do not reflect the opinions of TAPinto.net or anyone who works for TAPinto.net. TAPinto.net is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the writer.

Millburn

5 days ago

NJ School Performance Report Comparisons for Berkeley Heights, New Providence, Millburn, Westfield, Chatham, Madison and Summit

The following analysis draws on the newly released New Jersey School Performance Reports for the 2023–2024 school year. It highlights trends in student proficiency across English Language Arts, Math, and Science, while also examining other key indicators such as student growth, chronic absenteeism, and incident rates. The data compares performance across seven districts, offering a look at how outcomes have shifted from pre-pandemic levels (2018–2019) through the most recent year.

English Language Arts

Millburn and New Providence remain top performers in the set, with Millburn fully recovering to pre-pandemic levels (84.9%), and New Providence slightly exceeding its 2018–2019 performance (+0.1%).

Summit, Westfield, and Berkeley Heights continue to trail their pre-COVID performance.

Chatham appears the furthest behind in this area, falling from 82.7% in 2018–2019 to 75.3% in 2023–2024—a 7.4-point decline.

Math

Millburn remains the top-performing district in math with 82.4% of students meeting/exceeding expectations in 2023–2024—only 1.4 points below its 2018–2019 level.

New Providence nearly fully recovered, showing a minimal decline of 0.3 points.

Berkeley Heights is the only district to surpass pre-pandemic math performance, increasing from 68.8% to 70.1%—a +1.3 point gain.

Summit (−4.1), Chatham (−4.8), and Madison (−3.3) experienced the most significant setbacks compared to their 2018–2019 benchmarks.

Science

Millburn remains the set leader in science with 68% of students meeting or exceeding expectations—slightly improved from pre-pandemic levels (+1 point).

New Providence shows the strongest improvement overall, jumping from 54% to 57.3%—a +3.3 point gain.

Berkeley Heights and Madison experienced the largest drop-offs, declining by −4.3 and −3 points, respectively.

7 District Average for ELA, Math & Science

ELA had the highest average performance, rebounding steadily post-2021.

Math dipped in 2021–2022 and peaked in 2022–2023, with a slight decline in 2023–2024.

Science showed the most consistent improvement after a sharp drop in 2021–2022, nearly returning to pre-pandemic levels by 2023–2024.

Student Growth

Measured by Median Student Growth Percentile (mSGP), this report reflects how much progress students made in English Language Arts and Math (grades 4–8), relative to their academic peers.

Growth Benchmark:

ELA

Summit and Millburn saw the strongest growth since pre-pandemic years, each improving by +6 and +7 points, respectively.

New Providence and Berkeley Heights also posted solid mSGP scores of 58 and 55, both indicating typical to high growth.

Westfield maintained the same growth level as 2018–2019 (mSGP of 49), showing stability.

Madison and Chatham are 8 points and 7 points, behind (respectively) both landing near or below the threshold for low growth.

Math

New Providence maintained its pre-pandemic growth level exactly at an mSGP of 59, showing consistent student progress.

Summit also returned to its 2018–2019 level (mSGP 54), indicating typical growth.

Millburn, Westfield, and Berkeley Heights maintained declines (−2 to −5 points) but remained within the typical growth range.

Madison and Chatham deepen or hold at significant drops in math growth. Madison fell 12.5 points from 2018-2019 to 52.5, and Chatham declined a concerning 16 points, landing at 44, bordering low growth

7 District Average for Student Growth

ELA growth held steady, showing a slight improvement.

Math growth declined noticeably, suggesting a need for renewed focus on post-pandemic math recovery.

Chronic Absenteeism

Westfield is the only district to reduce chronic absenteeism since 2018–2019, dropping from 3.5% to 2.3% (−1.2 percentage points).

Madison shows the highest rate of chronic absenteeism in 2023–2024 at 9.7%, marking a +2.7 point increase—the most significant rise among the districts.

New Providence, Chatham, Berkeley Heights, and Millburn also maintained notable increases from 2018-2019, with chronic absenteeism rates now ranging from 4.9% to 7.4%.

Chronic absenteeism increased overall, rising from an average of 5.2% to 6.5%, with variation by district.

Violence, Vandalism, HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying), and Substance Incidents

Summit recorded the highest rate of incidents in 2023–2024 at 2.74 per 100 students, nearly tripling its 2018–2019 rate (+1.93).

Madison also showed a significant spike, rising from 0.91 to 2.18 incidents per 100 (+1.27).

Westfield and New Providence both saw increases of over 1 incident per 100 students, now reporting 1.76 and 1.43, respectively.

Millburn, Chatham, and Berkeley Heights remained relatively stable, with changes of less than ±0.4 from pre-pandemic levels.

Millburn showed a slight improvement (−0.01), the only district to report a decline.

The average incident rate more than doubled, rising from 0.61 to 1.49 incidents per 100 students.

Link to Source Documents from NJ DOE

Read More on Academic Achievement and Proficiency

Subscribe to NJ21st For Free

Our Commitment to Ethical Journalism

Comments / 2

How each Berkeley Heights School measured up on the 2023-2024 NJ Performance Reports

The recently published 2023-2024 NJ School Performance Report reveals a mixed academic recovery for Berkeley Heights, shaped not only by the pandemic but also by years of inconsistent leadership and problematic board governance.

Student proficiency in Math and English Language Arts (ELA) has shown modest improvement—Math rising to 69.65%, and ELA stabilizing at 75.93%—yet overall performance still trails both pre-pandemic and pre-reconfiguration levels. ELA scores remain 3.4 points below the 2018–2019 average, and foundational math skills continue to lag.

Mountain Park Elementary saw the sharpest decline in ELA (−10 percentage points), while Governor Livingston recorded some of the strongest gains. Meanwhile, Columbia Middle School’s Algebra I scores remain 5 points below their 2018–2019 benchmark, and GL Geometry continues to struggle, with 42% of students not meeting proficiency.

These metrics underscore a broader truth: while progress is underway, the district has yet to fully confront the systemic challenges that continue to undermine student outcomes. Recovery has begun—but real accountability and structural change are still needed.

ELA

Mountain Park saw the largest net decline (−10 percentage points).

GL had the strongest improvement, increasing by +8 points from pre-pandemic levels.

The average district score in 2023–2024 is still about 3.4 points below 2018–2019 levels.

2022–2023, showed encouraging signs of recovery. Average scores climbed back up to 76.25%, indicating that students were beginning to regain their academic footing. By 2023–2024, the average held steady at 75.93%, suggesting that the district has entered a period of stabilization, but still trailing slightly behind pre-pandemic/pre-reconfiguration levels.

Math

GL improved in math proficiency from 47.6% in 2018–2019 to 55.7% in 2023–2024 — a gain of 8.1 percentage points. While a notable improvement, the landing score for this past year is still abysmal and reflects concerns many parents and students have about BHPSNJ Math and Science.

The overall Math average inched back up to 66.1% in 2022-2023, and the most recent data from 2023–2024 indicates further progress, with proficiency reaching 69.65%. While the district has not yet returned to its 2018-2019 levels in math, the upward trend suggests a gradual recovery is underway.

Algebra & Geometry

CMS Algebra I is still 5 points below 2018–19 while GL Geometry made an 8 point gain from its original baseline with 42% of students not meeting proficiency.

Science

Modest recovery to 49.6% in 2022-2023 and remained level at 50% proficiency. The line graph below presents the average score across three grading point (elementary, CMS and GL).

Link to Source Documents from NJ DOE

Read More on Academic Achievement and Proficiency

Subscribe to NJ21st For Free

Our Commitment to Ethical Journalism