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Comcast moves 600 workers remote, closes Newark center

January 19, 2022 |By Jacob Owens

Comcast closed this call center in the Christiana Corporate Center in 2021 and has moved its more than 600 workers to remote working. | DBT PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS NEWARK – Less than two years after opening a state-of-the-art customer service call center in the Christiana Corporate Center, Comcast has shuttered

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Comcast closed this call center in the Christiana Corporate Center in 2021 and has moved its more than 600 workers to remote working. | DBT PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS[/caption] NEWARK – Less than two years after opening a state-of-the-art customer service call center in the Christiana Corporate Center, Comcast has shuttered the once-heralded facility, moving its workers to permanent remote working amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The decision, which impacted more than 600 workers at the site at 400 Commerce Drive, did not lead to any job losses, according to a Comcast spokesperson. The site has not been occupied for most of the pandemic. “We regularly evaluate our facility locations based on a number of factors, including business and operational needs, occupancy and our ability to provide outstanding employee and customer experiences. Since the start of the pandemic, our Newark-based employees successfully shifted to virtual positions and, as a result, we made the decision to close this facility,” the company said in a statement when asked about the center’s status. The Newark call center was not alone in Comcast’s decision-making, as it closed another such center in Voorhees, N.J., and moved its staff to a fully virtual environment as well. Comcast is now seeking a sublessee for the remaining six or so years on the lease of the roughly 150,000-square-foot Class A office building owned by London-based investment firm Trinova Real Estate LLP. The telecommunications giant is not alone among its industry peers in recognizing the ease and benefits of moving large numbers of employees to home-based working, especially among roles like customer service representatives who weren’t meeting in person with clients beforehand. AAA Club Alliance moved its customer service reps to remote working last year, though it has kept its Newark center open for other staff; Capital One moved retail bank frontline contact center and operations roles from a Wilmington office to remote; and Barclays has instituted a hybrid work-from-home model that sees only a portion of staff enter Wilmington offices each day, among others. However, Comcast’s decision may be the biggest harbinger yet in Delaware for office workforces. The Fortune 50 company had invested millions into the Christiana Corporate Center call center, then-owned by Buccini/Pollin Group, as it consolidated operations at older facilities in Newark and New Castle in a 10-year lease. It therefore determined it was more cost-effective and productive to shutter the facility and try to recoup losses through a third-party tenant. The facility had aimed to “foster teamwork and encourage a more collaborative, cross-functional environment that will ultimately enhance the employee and customer experience,” the company said in cutting the ribbon on the space. It boasted a slew of amenities ranging from a gym to game room with a golf simulator, a 45-seat theater for product demonstrations and a 200-person meeting space. “We’re glad Comcast is making this long-term commitment to Delaware with the opening of this new, state-of-the-art facility,” Gov. John Carney said at the facility’s September 2019 opening. “Businesses looking to grow and thrive choose Delaware because we have a lot to offer – from a strong and talented workforce, to a central location and excellent quality of life. This investment in a high-tech and eco-friendly workplace is a great example of what’s possible here in Delaware.”