First Phase of 4 Mil-SF High-Tech Park is Approved

At build-out, the developer projects a 19-building, four million-sf technology-oriented business park on 180 acres, currently undeveloped, just off the Garden State Parkway in this Monmouth County township. Also in the plans are a 12-story first-class hotel and a conference center with 200 rooms.

The first phase is a relatively modest step toward that goal, consisting of two four-story buildings of 200,000 sf each, plus a heliport. Its three levels of parking will be underground.

"The parking structures will be built underground to take advantage of the natural slopes and topography," explains Ken Himsel, the project's director of development. "We will be able to provide protected parking areas while leaving large open spaces within the campus. That was part of our original proposal."

That initial proposal received preliminary site plans back in December. "Since then, we've been conducting engineering studies," according to Himsel. "Those studies, combined with the interest we have been receiving, led us to propose a first phase of two buildings. We have been talking to several companies that have large space requirements and are interested in moving into the park."

The project initially received some local criticism because of the proposed heliport. The planning board approved that part of it as well. "It has been designed to be a positive aesthetic feature," according to Ray Syms, an aeronautical consultant retained by the developer to help design and plan that aspect of the project. "Our goal has been to minimize the impact in the immediate neighborhood."

With approval of the final site plans for phase one, the developer plans to break ground and begin site work early next month. Garden State Hi-Tech Park LLC has also been working on a 2,500-sf marketing and leasing center, expected to open in late spring. A timeline for build-out of the entire 19-building, four-million-sf package hasn't been announced.