Holmdel Planning Board Asked To Approve Hotel On Bell Works Roof

HOLMDEL, NJ — On Tuesday night, Jan. 30, the Holmdel Planning Board will be asked to approve a one-story hotel to be built on the roof of the Bell Works complex.

This will be a one-story corporate hotel with 186-200 maximum rooms, and it will sit on top of the sprawling, historic Bell Labs building. Somerset Development, the owner and developer of Bell Works, supplied these renderings. Bell Works was declared part of Holmdel's Alcatel-Lucent Redevelopment Zone in 2012.

Somerset's CEO Ralph Zucker has long talked about building a hotel at Bell Works for years now, and the Planning Board will likely approve his request at tomorrow night's meeting, Board member Mike Nikolis told Patch.

"I haven't seen all the plans on this, but I see no reason why we wouldn't," Nikolis said. "There is enough business at Bell Works to sustain it, especially with iCIMS moving in. And there is definitely a hotel shortage in the area. I think it'd be great."

Because the hotel will sit on the roof, the Bell Labs footprint is not expanding and Somerset does not require a building variance from Holmdel. As you can see from the renderings, the hotel will be built on the outside perimeter of the roof, so the building's signature sunlit-roof will not be covered up. To build the hotel, Somerset is required to provide 4,752 parking spaces at Bell Works, but they estimate that slightly fewer, 4,329, parking spaces are needed there. So they will be seeking a parking variance from the Board tomorrow night.

Somerset will also be installing several new electric car charging stations in the Bell Works parking lot, as well as ADA-compliant handicap accessible ramps for the existing building.

Two new restaurants are supposed to open in Bell Works: Italian Mezza Luna and Mexican Estrella Azul, both owned by Manalapan couple Anthony and Melissa Imperiale. They are scheduled to open sometime in the middle of this year.

A potential hotel operator has not been publicly revealed. However, Nikolis said the timetable to open will be quick.

"The sooner the better for Bell Works, so they can attract more business," he said.

The Planning Board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30 at the Holmdel Township building on Crawfords Corner Rd.

Patch images