Earlier this week, The Connell Company announced that it has partnered with Hana to open and operate Round Table Studios, a shared flexible workspace at Connell Park in Berkeley Heights, NJ.
Round Table Studios, which provides curated office spaces, amenities and hospitality services for co-working, mid-to-large tenants and their guests, will occupy 40,000 square feet at The Park and is scheduled to open in late 2020. The Park is a 185-acre mixed-use development anchored with 1.5 million square feet of office space and a full-service hotel.
This is the first owner-branded managed solution for Hana, which operates flexible workspaces under its own brand in the U.S. and the U.K. Hana’s team will manage and operate all office-related aspects of Round Table Studios, including the private workspaces for enterprise users, the team meeting rooms and the shared, coworking-style space.
Connell Park will utilize CBRE’s host services, which include an integrated tech platform and app, along with a hospitality management and concierge team. The Connell Company was looking for flex space that could be seamlessly integrated throughout the campus. Still, it needed the right partner to deliver that experience, according to Executive Vice President Shane Connell.
“Connell’s property at 200 Connell Drive in Berkeley Heights has its own brand holistically thread throughout The Park that the Connell Company felt was important to keep consistent,” says Andrew Kupiec, CEO of Hana “Our job at The Park is to manage and operate all office-related aspects of Round Table Studios, including institutional-grade private workspaces for enterprise users as well as team meeting rooms and the shared, coworking-style space.”
Connell Park is located 22 miles west of New York City and near to two train stations. Given this location, the company says Round Table Studios could provide both urban and suburban companies looking to provide their employees with a local office solution
“As employee and business needs continue to evolve, we wanted a flexible office solution that allowed The Park to cater to all potential employer needs, whether they are a single entrepreneur or a large tenant looking for a traditional long-term lease or a prebuilt flexible workspace,” Connell says. “We have been hearing from many tenants that they are increasingly looking at flex to help address the increase in remote work, the need to be in the office a few days a week for collaboration and meetings, and to be in a conveniently located, highly amenitized area like The Park.”
Even before the global pandemic, Connell says there was an increasing demand from his tenants and companies within the surrounding area for flex space solutions. But COVID-19 has accelerated things.
“The pandemic has forced office workers and employers to experience some of the advantages of working flexibly – such as foregoing long commutes and gaining more control over their work schedule,” Kupiec says.
The growing popularity of flex space will be part of Connell’s strategy going forward.
“In the long-term, we plan on growing Round Table Studios with Hana in the campus, as flexible work solutions continue to grow in popularity,” Connell says.