SJP Properties has begun construction on one of the more unique properties in state history: The 10-story, 370,000-square-foot Nokia Bell Labs headquarters at the HELIX in New Brunswick.
The building not only will be a centerpiece of the three-building HELIX — a four-acre innovation district being created by DEVCO that will be a center for industry and academia to unite to collaborate in transformative research and development — it also will serve as the headquarters for one of the greatest labs in history.
The H-2 property will feature highly efficient side core floor plates and varying slab-to-slab heights on some floors to accommodate experimentation. It will be the launchpad for acceleration in next-generation networks, advanced AI and software systems, industrial automation, and quantum and optical research.
Simply put, the reimagining of the Nokia Bell Labs headquarters has been designed specifically to enable Nokia researchers to remain at the forefront of scientific inquiry.
SJP Founder and CEO Steve Pozycki is aiming to deliver the completed building in late 2027. Pozycki said he is eager to do so.
“It is a duty as a real estate developer to ensure that the communities where we build not only stay strong but have the opportunity to grow stronger by developing future-proof workplaces that empower enterprises such as Nokia Bell Labs to remain at the leading edge of innovation,” he said.
“Creating, with our partners, commercial destinations of global significance that bring thousands of professionals together in the most accessible and desirable of municipalities enables local economies to thrive and reinforces New Jersey’s worldwide reputation for scientific discovery.
“We are confident with Nokia Bell Labs at its center; HELIX NJ will emerge as the dominant East Coast research and development district.”
DEVCO President Chris Paladino couldn’t agree more.
“The addition of Nokia Bell Labs to the HELIX ecosystem is another step in creating a place that will foster innovation, discovery, and commercialization,” he said. “By putting brilliant people together in one place, we will change lives with the work that will be done here.”
The HELIX is being designed with a mandate to uncover the breakthroughs that will advance human innovation and wellbeing for decades to come.
Nokia Bell Labs reaffirmed its commitment to New Jersey while relocating from its Murray Hill campus, executing a long-term lease for the entire H-2 building in 2023. The property was awarded a $103-million N.J. Economic Development Authority Aspire tax incentive package in March 2025.
The building will be situated directly across from the H-1, home to the New Jersey Innovation HUB, Rutgers Translational Research, the Rutgers School of Medicine and plug and play lab space for industry, currently under construction and in close proximity to the recently completed Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center at the Rutgers Cancer Institute, both developed by DEVCO.
The HELIX Innovation District is situated directly across from the New Brunswick train station, offering Amtrak/Acela and NJ TRANSIT service. Aligned with New Brunswick’s transformation agenda, the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund has committed $50 million for a station modernization and expansion project scheduled to begin in late 2025.
Longtime New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill said he’s thrilled to see another big project get underway.
“The start of construction on the new Nokia Bell Labs Headquarters at HELIX NJ marks a defining moment in New Brunswick’s ongoing evolution as a premier hub for research, innovation, and economic vitality,” he said. “This development reflects our city’s strong partnerships with industry leaders like Nokia, SJP Properties, and DEVCO, and underscores our commitment to fostering opportunities that create jobs, attract world-class talent, and enhance the quality of life for all who live, work, and study here.”
To bring the Nokia Bell Labs Headquarters development to fruition, SJP Properties assembled a complex multiparty team that includes:
- HELIX Master Developer DEVCO (New Brunswick Development Corporation)
- Financial partner Morgan Stanley (development)
- PNC Bank (construction lender)
- JLL (landlord representation team – Dan Loughlin, Blake Goodman, Dan Spero, Jason Benson, Peter Ladas)
- Colliers (tenant representation team – Sam Horowitz, Chris Hovanec, Ray Iodice)
- Newmark (equity partner representation team – Adam Spies, Chris Kramer)
