After siting vacant for more than 5 years, AT&T's famous Bell Labs campus designed by architect Eero Saarinen will undergo a $100 million renovation aimed at creating a mixed-use center for Holmdel, New Jersey.
"Late last month, Somerset Development bought the mirrored glass building, completed in 1962, and its pastoral grounds from Alcatel-Lucent for $27 million after the Township of Holmdel approved an ambitious redevelopment proposal that includes plans for a health care center, residences, a hotel and retail space," reports Ronda Kaysen.
"The six-story building will house 50,000 square feet of retail space, the town library and a hotel. The grounds will have pedestrian trails, bike paths and, eventually, an outdoor sports complex. Part of the land is protected wetlands."
“It’s going to be a virtual city,” promised Ralph Zucker, president of Somerset Development. “It is going to have so many uses there that it will have its own identity.”
FULL STORY: Future Takes Shape for Bell Labs Site

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
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Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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