[9] A number of movies, television programs, and commercials have been filmed at Bell Works, including Severance, The Crowded Room, and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
[13][14] In subsequent years, radio astronomy and similar research was done at the separate Crawford Hill annex facility,[15] some three miles away from the main Holmdel complex.
[18] Despite these expansions, the original curtain wall design remained intact, as did the unique layout of the site, which included a large elliptical master plan and country-road like approach.
[20] Another urban legend – less widely circulated than the transistor story – claims that the concrete floodlight stand at the base of the tower was originally a water fountain.
[10] Despite initial plans to maintain the original buildings and keep the six-story complex as a corporate office park, Preferred later sought to rezone it as residential property.
[29] Inspired by Somerset Development proposed an adaptive reuse project that included offices, a health and wellness center, restaurants, shopping, a spa, and a 20,000-square-foot public library.
Recreational space and luxury homes were planned for the surrounding land; national homebuilder Toll Brothers was slated to be the residential developer of the project.
This deal with Toll Brothers helped to provide the capital for Inspired by Somerset Development to pursue its New Urbanism-inspired redevelopment plan at Bell Labs.
The plan aimed to transform the site from office-lab to a space that would provide the Holmdel Township community–and other nearby residents–with access to the benefits traditionally associated with an urban environment (shops, dining, retail, library, offices, etc.)
Today, Bell Works’ quarter-mile long atrium has been reimagined into a publicly accessible pedestrian street with shops, restaurants, healthcare, community services, and more.
[38] In addition to offering retail and office space, Bell Works hosts conferences and events, including the annual Fourth of July Fireworks, which attracts thousands of local residents.
The building, which is open seven days a week, is home to public assets such as the Holmdel Library and Learning Center along with farmers’ markets and holiday celebrations.