Developer of Bell Works launches third-party buildout and tenant improvement firm

Zucker’s Inspired by Somerset Development will now help create modern, flexible office spaces that aim to appeal to wide variety of users

Visitors to Bell Works, the famed “metroburb” in Holmdel envisioned and created by Ralph Zucker and Inspired by Somerset Development, always have been amazed at the modern, flexible office spaces available there.

Starting today, those outside the development will have access to the designers.

Inspired, one of the real estate industry’s foremost innovators in large-scale mixed-use redevelopment, announced the launch of its third-party buildout and tenant improvement services for tenants in the office sector.

Led by Executive Vice President David Schreiber, Inspired will leverage both its in-house team and network of experienced architects, engineers and designers who are aligned in their ability to proficiently navigate the complex design and construction processes to create modern, highly flexible workspaces that cater to the evolving needs of today’s office tenants. Its expertise includes the creation of traditional workspaces, medical offices, laboratories and tech firms, with solutions also available to subletting tenants through a direct deal with Inspired.

The third-party buildout and tenant improvement services will be available to tenants throughout the tri-state area, Inspired officials said.

Schreiber explained it this way.

“Today’s office owners and tenants alike are hyperfocused on project timelines and bottom lines as they look to create work environments that can cater to and pivot the fast-evolving nature of the market,” he said. “These third-party solutions will allow us to work directly with the tenant to streamline every aspect of the design and construction process to create highly desirable, turnkey office spaces.

“We pride ourselves on treating every dollar like it was our own dollar and strive to complete each project in a timely and affordable manner. In a market where time and money are paramount, Inspired is offering its proven redevelopment expertise to bolster the success of office construction for companies of all sizes.”

Of course, Inspired’s success to date as a third-party buildout and tenant improvement manager has been driven by its success creating Bell Works, the country’s first “metroburb” — a self-contained metropolis in suburbia. For the past decade, Inspired has successfully transformed the abandoned 2 million-square-foot Bell Labs facility into a thriving ecosystem of technology, traditional office, retail, dining and hospitality.

But that’s not all Inspired has done.

In addition to Bell Works, the firm has spent years designing and developing other residential and commercial projects throughout New Jersey, leveraging a hands-on approach to obtain building permits and navigate the logistical process that often slows down other redevelopment projects.

Central Reach’s interior design by Paola Zamudio of npz studio+, architecture by G3 and construction by Inspired by Somerset Development. (Jonathan Hokklo)

With the launch of these new third-party services, the veteran team will offer its expertise to tenants outside its portfolio who are in need of fit-out construction within existing office spaces. Companies ranging from startups to major corporations will be able to collaborate with Inspired and receive preliminary sketches as well as projected timelines and numbers to ensure that overall budgets are adhered to and a successful outcome obtained.

Among Inspired’s recent successes was the buildout of a 26,615-square-foot office space at Bell Works New Jersey for CentralReach, a leading provider of electronic medical record software and services for applied behavior analysis and related behavioral health practices.

The company’s staff of 300-plus workers operates on a fully remote basis, but worked closely with Schreiber and the Inspired team to create a unique, collaboration-focused space it has deemed “the office of the future.”

Nicole Trivigno, senior manager of global workplace and employee experience at CentralReach, was impressed.

“Of all the office buildouts I have done in the past, this was the most seamless by far,” she said. “The project was tightly managed, came in under budget, timelines were met if not beat, and we were able to leverage Inspired’s relationships on the architectural, design and furniture end to achieve great pricing with best-in-class vendors.”