The HELIX NJ project in New Brunswick celebrated a milestone on Friday as the final steel beam was placed atop the 12-story H-1 building in the city’s innovation district. The building will provide universities, industries, and startups with spaces to research, learn, work, and collaborate.
NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka was among the stakeholders and dignitaries present for the “topping-off ceremony” at H-1. The $732 million building spans 574,000 square feet and is expected to be fully completed by late 2025. It will house Rutgers medical school, translational research space, and the New Jersey Innovation Hub.
“It’s exciting to see the progress that’s being made in New Brunswick’s innovation district,” Siekerka said. “HELIX NJ is a transformative project that will bring together academia, business and education to create extraordinary opportunities for New Jersey.”
The NJ Innovation Hub’s anchor tenants are expected to arrive in early 2026 and include Rutgers University, Hackensack Meridian Health, RWJ Barnabas Health, and Middlesex County. Princeton University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and Choose NJ are also expected to have a presence on the site. The area will feature public space connecting various key locations within New Brunswick.
Before the beam was lifted, New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill noted the effort represented the “heights we can reach when we aim high.”
“H-1 is not just a building and HELIX NJ is not just a complex. It is a statement about the future of the state of New Jersey, Middlesex County, and the city of New Brunswick,” Cahill said.
The HELIX NJ project will include three buildings developed by the New Brunswick Development Authority (DEVCO) in partnership with Jingoli. Buildings H-1, H-2, and H3 will collectively offer 1.5 million square feet of research and collaborative workspaces aimed at advancing health and life sciences while fostering economic growth.
H-2 is planned as a 10-story building with 350,000 square feet currently in design phase; it will become home to Nokia Bell Labs by 2028. H-3 will be a 42-story structure—the tallest in Middlesex County—offering workspaces for smaller organizations on lower floors topped by residential units. Completion of H-3 is expected by 2030.
Last year, H-1 became the first project to win NJEDA approval for up to $271 million in tax incentives under the state’s new ASPIRE program created by the Economic Recovery Act of 2020. Aspire supports commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and residential real estate development projects with an emphasis on underserved communities.
To see a video about the HELIX NJ project go here.
