The new RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center at 103 Columbia Road in Morris Township includes an 88,400-square-foot main building, eight full-size outdoor soccer pitches and other cutting-edge facilities and amenities for the Major League Soccer club. — Images courtesy: RWJBarnabas
By Joshua Burd
The transformation of another New Jersey suburban office campus is complete, but the result is far from the warehouses and apartments found at other redevelopment sites.
Located in Morris Township, the 80-acre parcel is home to the new Red Bull New York training complex that includes an 88,400-square-foot main building, eight full-size outdoor soccer pitches and other cutting-edge facilities and amenities for the Major League Soccer club and its youth programs. All of which were on display Wednesday as the team unveiled what’s formally known as the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center, at 103 Columbia Road, in a project meant to help it attract and develop talent in an increasingly competitive field.
“The RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center will serve as a centerpiece for the continued growth of the game in our region and across the country,” said Marc de Grandpré, president and general manager for Red Bull New York. “This facility brings our entire pathway together, from academy to first team, and creates an environment where players can train, develop and compete at the highest level every day. It reinforces our commitment to building from within and developing the next generation of players.”
The project leveraged some of the commercial real estate industry’s top talent, including Gensler as its architect, March Construction as general contractor and Riker Danzig LLP as real estate counsel for what was a high-profile redevelopment plan. The training center occupies a site that once included Honeywell International’s former headquarters, which became vacant in 2015 when the company moved to neighboring Morris Plains, leaving the township with a stranded asset in a struggling suburban office market.
Red Bull New York on Wednesday welcomed local leaders and project partners to the reimagined campus, the new home of its first and reserve teams as well as the Red Bull New York Academy and Youth Training programs. Those groups have access to a mix of heated, irrigated natural grass and turf surfaces with one 350-seat match field designated for academy games, plus outdoor areas equipped with advanced training technology including multi-angle camera tracking systems for analytics and player development.
RWJBarnabas Health is the official naming rights partner of the performance center, designating it as an official sponsor and provider of services across the Red Bull organization and its youth programs.
“Today is an exciting milestone as we officially open the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center,” said Mark E. Manigan, CEO and president of RWJBarnabas Health. “What began as a shared vision is now a world-class facility that will support elite athlete performance, advance innovation in sports health and serve as a source of pride for our community. This partnership reflects our deep commitment to building a healthier New Jersey — on and off the field — and we are proud to invest in a state-of-the-art facility that will inspire excellence for generations to come.”
The Red Bulls added that the custom-designed facility is fully equipped with multiple gyms for both the professional and academy teams, a dining hall that includes dedicated nutrition spaces and a professional chef, academic spaces for youth education and a comprehensive medical suite and innovation lab with physiotherapy spaces promoting best in class preventative health, rehabilitation and recovery, according to a news release. Additional resources include the integration of aquatic therapy spaces, innovative fatigue detection processes, advanced diagnostic modalities and an ortho biologic system to support advanced treatment and clinical care.
“The RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center represents a major step forward in how we care for professional athletes and the next generation,” said Dr. Gerardo Chiricolo, the club’s chief medical officer. “This facility isn’t just about treating injuries; it’s about preventive care, optimizing recovery and supporting each athlete’s long-term well-being. Equipped with a broad range of innovative resources including a wellness lab, state-of-the-art training equipment, advanced rehabilitation tools, real-time training load monitoring and performance insights, we can deliver customized care at a level that simply wasn’t possible before. This ensures that every decision we make is precise, proactive and centered on the individual athlete.”
Red Bull New York constructed the campus in partnership with Gensler, March Construction, The Landtek Group and interior design agency Drive21. It’s now open with just weeks to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to New Jerey, with the Brazilian national team reportedly set to use the facility as its training site during the tournament.
“Gensler is proud to have been a part of this project for NY Red Bulls,” said Brent Cutshall, a project director and senior associate with the global design firm. “This innovative facility sets a new benchmark for training centers, with unique amenities focused on wellness and combined resources and services for the full New York Red Bulls community — from academy to first team.”
Other highlights of the RWJBarnabas Health Performance Center include:
- 4,635-square-foot Pro Gym.
- First Team locker room with hydrotherapy areas that include hot/cold plunge pools, temperate treatment /physical therapy pool and sauna.
- Full locker room for Second Team with access to hydrotherapy areas.
- Entire campus covered by high-speed Wi-Fi for collection of player performance data from player performance tracking systems including platforms Kinexon (player performance) and GameOn (video analysis).
- Full-service kitchen designed around providing high nutritional value meals for peak player performance.
- Demonstration kitchen for chef and nutritionist to provide meal preparation education for academy and professional players.
- Dedicated academy spaces including change rooms and full locker rooms. Educational spaces for academy players and youth programs including classrooms, study spaces and coaching clinics.
