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Steven Michael Fulop was elected the 49th Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey.

During his time as Mayor, Steve has shown what smart, progressive leadership can accomplish – and opened a new chapter for Jersey City.

Under his leadership, Jersey City became the first city in the state – and the 6th city in the country – to ensure paid sick leave. Steve has pioneered new ideas for helping prisoners re-enter society; he’s passed legislation to protect small businesses; encouraged more to open shop; made Jersey City one of the greenest towns in the nation. He’s undertaken sweeping public safety reform; the JCPD is now seen as a model for diversity around the nation. And he’s led the city to record economic development that’s benefited families of all income levels. All without raising taxes.

Steve is a first-generation American, a lifelong New Jerseyan, a Marine, and a triathlete. He grew up in a Jewish family in Edison, New Jersey, the son of Romanian immigrants. His mother was the daughter of Holocaust survivors and worked in an immigration services office helping others gain citizenship. His father owned a delicatessen nearby in Newark, where Steve worked behind the counter as a teenager.

Steve graduated from Binghamton University in 1999 and spent time abroad studying at Oxford University in the UK. After college, he joined Goldman Sachs, the investment banking firm, working in Chicago and later in Manhattan and Jersey City.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Steve was working in lower Manhattan when he saw the first plane strike the Twin Towers. A few weeks later, he decided to put his career at Goldman Sachs on hold and join the United States Marine Corps.

Steve’s Reserve Unit deployed to Iraq in January 2003. There, Steve served as part of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion. He traveled into Baghdad during the early weeks of the war.

In 2006, Steve completed his service to the Marine Corps Reserve with the rank of Corporal.

After his service in Iraq, Steve returned to Goldman Sachs, leaving in early 2006 to take a position at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. That year, he also completed both his Masters in Business Administration at the New York University Stern School of Business and his Masters in Public Administration at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Steve first tried his hand at politics, running for Congress in 2004. He lost.

But the next year, Steve ran for the Jersey City Council, and the result was different. He served as a councilman for eight years before becoming Mayor.

Steve is an avid runner and triathlete. He ran the NYC Marathon in 2012, raising money for the Hudson County Child Abuse Prevention Center. He also competed in the Ironman Championship in NYC that year to raise money for veterans. Steve’s completed his latest – though not last – Ironman triathlon in September 2014.

http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/mayor.aspx

Philip F. McGovern Jr.
Managing Partner
Connell Foley

Philip F. McGovern Jr. is the Managing Partner of Connell Foley and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. From initiating the firm’s initial key expansion into Jersey City 15 years ago to a vision for continued growth in New Jersey and New York, Phil applies a keen business sense in identifying opportunities — both for Connell Foley as well as for his clients. A savvy transactional attorney, he concentrates primarily on commercial real estate and corporate transactions, real estate development, land use, complex commercial financing and commercial leasing.

Phil currently serves as national real estate counsel to Telcordia Technologies and outside real estate counsel to New Jersey Natural Gas Company. He is also general corporate counsel to numerous mid-cap companies in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where he works on entity formation, financing, contractual negotiation, acquisitions/dispositions and succession planning.

During the course of his career, Phil has assisted several large organizations in significant development projects across the United States. Among these, he represented Mack-Cali, Inc. in the assemblage, joint venture and ultimate development of its most significant residential real estate project in Jersey City, and he advised the United Parcel Company in connection with the acquisition and development of its worldwide communications facility in Mahwah, New Jersey. He also advised Merrill Lynch & Co. in the restructuring of mixed use residential/commercial developments in Charlestown, Massachusetts; Alexandria, Virginia; and Waco, Texas.

Phil also represented the Shell Oil Company in the negotiation and disposition of over 350 service stations throughout the tri-state area. He has participated in New Jersey State and other municipal financings totaling more than several billion dollars in value and has negotiated leases on behalf of landlords and tenants for commercial structures in excess of 3,000,000 square feet.

Jersey City
Harborside Financial Center
2510 Plaza Five
Jersey City, NJ 07311
P 201-521-1000
F 201-521-0100

Constantino T. “Gus Milano
President & COO
Hartz Mountain Industries

Hartz owns and manages a diversified real estate portfolio including first-class corporate offices, hotels, mulit-family developments, retail centers and data centers. The portfolio includes approximately 235 properties comprising over 38 million square feet and a 225 acre land bank primarily in New Jersey and New York with prime locations in Northern New Jersey. Rcent acquisitions have expanded the footprint nationally to Baltimore, Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, Austin and Seattle.

15 Exchange Place
The Residences at 3 Journal Square
70 Hudson St – Developed & Disposed Of
90 Hudson St – Developed & Disposed Of

Rajiv Patel
Founding Partner & President
Spear Street Capital

Rajiv Patel is a Founding Partner and President of Spear Street Capital. With offices in San Francisco and New York, Spear Street Capital acquires, owns, and operates office product in technology oriented markets in the United States and Canada. Spear Street is currently investing through its 5 th private equity vehicle comprised of over $1 billion of equity. Mr. Patel oversees the firm’s activities and with a transaction volume in excess of $6 billion, Mr. Patel has bought, sold, or developed office properties in most major markets throughout the United States.

Philip Gesue
Chief Development Officer
Strategic Capital

Phillip Gesue is the managing principal of PERE Holdings. In this capacity, Mr. Gesue has oversight of all of the firm’s real estate investment activities including acquisitions, financing, design, construction, sales, and marketing. Mr. Gesue has a diverse background in real estate development, acquisitions and finance. Over the past 25 years he has managed the acquisition and development of over 8 million square feet of real estate projects throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Mr. Gesue’s experience includes Chief Development Officer for Strategic Capital, the U.S. based subsidiary of CSCEC, the Beijing-based real estate and construction giant. Mr. Gesue also held roles as Chief Development Officer for The Witkoff Group in New York and Head of Global Real Estate for Belmond Hotels formerly Orient Express Hotels (NYSE: Bel), a publicly traded luxury hotel company where he was a company officer. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gesue was a Director of Acquisitions and Development for Time Equities, Inc, a New York-based real estate investor-developer and also managed the acquisition and development of over 2,000 high-rise residential properties across the Unites States for Crescent Heights, Inc.

He received his master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture and holds dual bachelors degrees in Business administration and Economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Park | Shore
75 PARK LANE – 75 Park Lane South
SHORE HOUSE – 2 Shore Lane Ave

Timothy J. Lizura
President & Chief Operating Officer

Timothy Lizura serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA).

Mr. Lizura joined the EDA in 1996 as part of the Authority’s real estate development team. He held various leadership roles, eventually assuming the position of Senior Vice President of Finance and Development, managing the Authority’s business practices and financing activities. Mr. Lizura became President and COO in 2012.

For the EDA, Mr. Lizura has served as a member of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority and as a designee to the South Jersey Transportation Authority. In addition, he served as the interim Executive Director for the Fort Monmouth Economic Redevelopment Authority during its formation in 2010. He is currently a Board Member of NJ NAIOP and on the Advisory Board for Rutgers Business School.

In 2006, Mr. Lizura took a two-year stint at the Port Authority of NY & NJ, where he served as Director of the World Trade Center Redevelopment Department, overseeing all redevelopment activities for the commercial interests of the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan.

Mr. Lizura also previously spent four years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) during one of the most turbulent periods in banking history. His responsibilities ranged from leading bank seizure teams to overseeing loan portfolio sales.

Mr. Lizura has served as the Chair of the New Jersey Biotechnology & Life Sciences Coalition, and was named in 2006 as one of NJBIZ Magazine’s “40 Under 40,” an award which honors men and women who have made headlines in their field and share a commitment to business growth, professional excellence and the community.

Mr. Lizura obtained a B.A. from Rutgers University, with a major in Economics and minor in Accounting. He also earned his M.B.A from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) is an independent State agency that finances small and mid-sized businesses, administers tax incentives to retain and grow jobs, revitalizes communities through redevelopment initiatives, and supports entrepreneurial development by providing access to training and mentoring programs. 

The NJ EDA has helped businesses and development thrive in Jersey City and across New Jersey.

Leslie Harwood
Principal, Harwood Properties
Managing Director, Newmark Knight Frank

Harwood Properties is a private real estate developer and real estate operator based in Jersey City. Harwood Properties, is a third and fourth generation real estate family with deep roots in Jersey City that go back to the 1920’s. Since its inception in 1920, Harwood Properties developed a deep understanding on development and urban development. Harwood Properties projects have included direct ownership in all major asset categories including parking facilities, office, retail, industrial and residential properties. Harwood Properties has been focused on investing in parking operations and development sites, with a particular emphasis on development and revitalization opportunities in urban, transit-oriented locations.

808 Pavonia Ave

Frank Cretella
President
Landmark Developers

Frank Cretella
Owner, Co-Founder & Principal
Landmark Hospitality
Landmark Venues

Creators & Operators of Unique Places for Life’s Memorable Moments

Frank Cretella has over three decades of construction and development experience
in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania urban markets, with completed projects ranging
from restaurant, catering and hotel facilities, to mixed use transit village projects. Frank’s urban
development firm, Landmark Developers, is the designated real estate developer of the 5-block
revitalization of the North Avenue Historic District in Plainfield, NJ. There he has built or
renovated over 18 properties, most of which are Historic Landmarks. He was also the joint
developer and contractor on a 96-unit affordable SRO project along with the Hoboken YMCA;
developed a 50-unit senior affordable housing project in Jersey City, NJ; developed and
operates Senior Spirt, of Jersey City a senior medical day care facility, and most recently in
partnership with Iron Sate Development building a 308-residential unit mixed use project by a
rail stop in Jersey City, NJ.

Frank established Landmark Developers, a boutique real estate development company and its
in-house construction firm, Black Dog Construction, enabling him to control all facets of his
development projects. Landmark Developers is widely known for transforming historical or
underutilized properties in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania into uniquely modern
residential complexes, vibrant retail, office spaces and prestigious hospitality venues. Landmark
envisions these properties at their full potential and with precise planning and hands-on design
expertise, brings these structures to realization; thus, helping to revive neighborhoods into
pedestrian-friendly, environmentally-conscious, and amenity-rich communities with parks,
restaurants, and public transportation.

Additionally, Frank and his wife, Jeanne, operate Landmark Hospitality, which owns and
operates distinctive hospitality venues. Such venues include the Liberty House Restaurant
inside Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ; Stone House at Stirling Ridge, Warren, NJ; The
Ryland Inn, Whitehouse Station, NJ; The Logan Inn, New Hope, PA; Hotel DuVillage, in New
Hope, PA; Crave Caterers, an off-premise catering division and Landmark Destination
Weddings. Currently Landmark employs over 700 and offers a platform for growth for all their
team members. Plans for 2018 include the expansion of the famed Ryland Inn in Whitehouse
Station, NJ into a 70,500-sq. ft. restaurant/catering/hotel conference center, the North River
House, a full-service restaurant/event space, rooftop café within the waterfront Port Liberte’
Condominium complex in Jersey City, the restoration of the Historic South Orange Village Hall
(1894) into a premier 15,000 sq. ft. sophisticated Tavern/Restaurant concept with beer garden,
opening an Italian Restaurant and Event concept on Main Street in Ridgewood, NJ, a 33,000
sq. ft. expansion of the Historic Logan Inn in New Hope, PA. Also in New Hope Frank is
developing Nurture Spa, a 10,000 sq. ft. spa in a historic waterfront property, and a  100-unit
live work space that includes a ground floor Regus shared work space outpost. Past hospitality
operations that the Cretella’s owned and operated through TAM Restaurants, Inc., include some
of New York’s most prestigious restaurants: Park View at the Boathouse inside Central Park,
NY; American Park Restaurant, Manhattan, NY; and Lundy Brothers Restaurant in Sheepshead
Bay, Brooklyn, NY.

Frank primarily focuses on strategic planning, marketing/brand recognition, construction and
renovations for Landmark Hospitality. Recently, Frank has led the expansions of Stone House
Restaurant with the addition of a second event space and the Ryland Inn to include a second
event space from renovated barns which also incorporates overnight guest rooms. Frank also
headed the development of a proprietary software for Landmark’s Corporate Call Center which
handles all inbound reservations for the hospitality venues.

Frank and Jeanne have always believed in working towards the betterment of the communities
in which they do business. With this said, Landmark’s Corporate giving program, H.U.G. (Help
Us Give) was established back in 2002 and is dedicated to helping those charitable causes that
positively impact the quality of life in the communities in which they do business. H.U.G. hosts
numerous community events, while aiding local organizations on an ongoing basis.
Organizations such as Women’s Rising, York Street Project, the 200 Club and The Boys and
Girls Club name just a few that have benefited from H.U.G. In house community events are also
sponsored by H.U.G. and include an annual Snowflake Awards Contest, Spring Egg Hunt and
Movies in the Park. H.U.G.’s efforts have been recognized by American Express and the
National Restaurant Association, and Liberty House was awarded the Good Neighbor Award for
New Jersey, as well as the Governor’s Tourism Diamond Award.

Frank’s passion, business savvy, high energy and willingness to take risks and persistent
pursuit of his goals has not only contributed to his success but has created the kind of company
that attracts the many talented and dedicated professionals who now work for Landmark
Developers, Landmark Hospitality and Black Dog Construction. His core principles are “Live
with Integrity, Develop a Winning Strategy, Build a Great Management Team, Inspire
Employees and Create a Flexible Organization”; this mantra has proven invaluable to building
successful and diversified businesses.

Restaurants, Projects & Properties in Jersey City: 

Liberty House Restaurant –

Multifamily Development – 100 Monitor St.

North River House (Hospitalty Venue) – 2 Chapel Ave

Jeremy Kaplan
Chief Operating Officer
KRE Group

Jeremy Kaplan is KRE Group’s Chief Operating Officer and has primary executive responsibility for the company’s day to day activities, and focuses on its acquisition, financing, and development efforts. In this capacity, Mr. Kaplan oversees a team of more than 75 professionals and portfolio of more than 9,000 rental apartments and 6,000,000 square feet of commercial property. Prior to joining KRE Group in 2008, Mr. Kaplan was a Senior Manager at Barr Laboratories where he managed all international cost-cutting and synergy initiatives.

Mr. Kaplan received his B.A. in Economics and Politics from Brandeis University and his M.B.A. from the New York University Stern School of Business. He serves on the Board of Directors of several nonprofit organizations including Yamba Malawi and Liberty Health.

Journal Squared – 615 Pavonia Ave
Journal Squared – Phase 2 & 3
Marin Residences 515 Marin Blvd
79 Thomas McGovern Dr
18 Park Ave
Liberty Harbor North I – 225 Grand Street
Liberty Harbor North II- 235 Grand St
101 Grove St
Grove Pointe – 100 Christopher Columbus Drive

Jonathan Krieger
Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer, BluestoneLane Coffee
Founder & CEO, RetailWorx
Founder & CEO, Taco Dumbo
Vice President, RFK-Robert K. Futterman & Associations

Jon has over 15 years of experience as a retail leasing agent and entrepreneur in the hospitality and wellness industries. He manages the growth process of all Retail Worx brands and leverages his relationships with senior management within the retail divisions at top real estate companies to secure the best locations and partnerships for each brand.

As Vice President at RKF, the nation’s leading retail brokerage firm, Jon spearheaded the New York City rollouts of leading hospitality and wellness concepts: Open Kitchen, City Sports, Glaze Teriyaki, Yoga Vida and Soul Cycle, where Jon identified and secured locations two through five, which led to Soul Cycle’s acquisition by Equinox. Most notably, Jon provided the real estate strategy and execution for Bluestone Lane, of which Jon is a co-founder, opening the first 10 stores in less than three years and at a capital cost of less than $1.8 million.

After years of applying his real estate expertise to helping brands expand and scale, Jon began to develop his own unique concepts whereby he was responsible for raising capital and securing the lease and store build outs.

Through these experiences, Jon accumulated a wealth of knowledge that enabled him to create Retail Worx in 2015. Since founding the company, Jon has expanded the Retail Worx network of brands from three to 10 and has negotiated over 150,000 SF of retail space. Most recently, Jon was the exclusive retail broker for Dumbo Heights campus, leasing 60,000 SF for retail brands, five of which are Retail Worx brands.

Coming Soon:

David Donnelly
Executive Director
Jersey City Redevelopment Agency

David Donnelly is Executive Director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, New Jersey’s largest and oldest municipal redevelopment agency. He is responsible for project implementation and oversight within the City’s 93 redevelopment areas. The Agency’s broad area of expertise includes project facilitation,site assemblage and clearance,environmental remediation and developer selection. Since taking over the reigns of JCRA, Dave has championed the “forgotten” neighborhoods and is quickly making Jersey City one of the leaders in the development of abandoned and vacant properties.

His vast and diverse background include being elected to Councilman in Ward B in 2009 after which he became an Assistant to Mayor Steven Fulop. Dave has also served as Special Assistant to Edison Mayor, Jun Choi and worked for Congressman Frank Pallone and Assemblyman Joseph Doria. Additionally he has served as Deputy Clerk in the New Jersey General Assembly and as a Division Chief of Intergovernmental Relations in the Office of the Hudson County Executive.

Dave earned a B.A. in Urban Studies from Rutgers University and in the process of obtaining an M.S. degree in Management and Urban Policy from Milano,The New School for Management and Urban Policy in New York City. He also holds a Zoning Official’s Certificate from Rutgers University.

Dave has been married 6 years to his wife, Dawn, and has a daughter, Isabella, who is almost 3.

Click here to go to the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority website to explore all of the fantastic work they’re engaged in.

Peter Porraro
Executive Managing Director, Northeast/Mid-Atlantic
Mill Creek Residential

Peter serves as Executive Managing Director, Northeast/Mid-Atlantic with overall responsibility for development and construction in Mill Creek’s Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regions, including Washington, DC, Boston and the greater New York City metropolitan area. Prior to this role, Peter served as Senior Managing Director for Mill Creek, responsible for development and construction activities from Philadelphia to Boston.

From 2003 to 2010, Peter served as the Senior Managing Director for Trammell Crow Residential for the New Jersey and Pennsylvania region. Prior to joining Trammell Crow he was the Director of Acquisitions and Equity Investments for Real Estate Capital Partners (RECP). In this role, he oversaw the joint venture equity investments for apartment developments nationwide and was responsible for the new acquisitions of apartment and industrial properties. Prior to joining RECP, Peter was a Partner and Chief Financial Officer for a family-run construction company.

Peter received a B.A. in Political Science from Drew University and earned a M.S. in Real Estate Finance and Investment from New York University. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, National Multi Housing Council, and is a licensed New Jersey Realtor.

Modera Lofts – 350 Warren St

David Orr
Executive Director & COO
Dixon Advisory USA
Pure Properties

David is an investment expert with over a decade experience across Australian Financial Services and US property. David joined Dixon Advisory (Australia) in 2005 working in a number of roles across the Investment Advisory and Corporate Finance teams. In 2008 David became Dixon Advisory’s youngest Director when promoted to Head of Investment Advisory, Canberra. Two years later David relocated to Sydney to head their Investment Team and took on a number of national responsibilities. In his time in Australia David was responsible for building investment teams, training and mentoring staff in addition to negotiating debt transactions for the Australian Masters Corporate Bond Series and subsequent Yield Funds. David has also developed strategy, processes and training for several firm wide projects, including two hostile corporate actions, a number of legislative changes and staff and client engagement.
David moved to New York in 2014 and is the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer. In this role David, in conjunction with Alan Dixon, is responsible for the strategic and operational direction of Dixon Advisory USA. This includes overviewing several business units, managing the funds relationship with investors, analysts, media and joint venture partners and assisting with capital market operations. David actively looks for new business opportunities to improve and grow the fund.

David graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from Kaplan Professional Australia. David is a member of the Stockbrokers Association of Australia and a Senior Fellow at the Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA).

http://www.dixonadvisoryusa.com

Jonathan Schultz
Co­Founder & Managing Principal
Onyx Equities

Jonathan Schultz has the distinction of combining his two passions – real estate and technology – into his role of leading Onyx Equities. Along with Co-Founder, John Saraceno, Onyx has grown into one of the largest, most diversified and active real estate investment, management, and property service organizations.

Throughout Jonathan’s distinguished career in real estate, he has been able to remain on the leading edge of market trends. Whether he was building a highly successful, niche brokerage firm or developing successful luxury development projects, Jonathan’s unique ability to continually meet a changing market dynamic has consistently propelled his career.

Today, Jonathan has been key in leading the dramatic growth of Onyx. He has helped build the company’s platform into one that provides an integrated array of services, including asset management, construction management, property management and leasing. Jonathan also led the effort to build Onyx’s Receivership/REO Services platform, which managed millions of square feet and was one of the largest platforms of its kind in the tri-¬state area.

Jonathan’s passion for re-invention and disruption manifests itself into his love for technology. Under his leadership, Onyx has embraced innovations that few other real estate companies have adopted, which has completely transformed every aspect of the company’s operations. Recognized as a true thought leader in real estate tech, Jonathan is a regular public speaker, event panelist and noted blogger. Additionally, he serves on the advisory board of Real Estate Tech News.

Jonathan is a member of the Metro NY chapter of YPO, the premier network of chief executives and business leaders. He is a founding board member of the “Award of Courage” foundation. In this role, he raised significant funds for Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center and is a past recipient of their Humanitarian Award. His philanthropic efforts are now a significant part of his professional and personal life. Jonathan is also a member of the Riverview Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees which serves the Meridian Health Network.

30 Montgomery Street
2 Montgomery Street
One Exchange Place

Mr. Pasternak has a 30 year history as a real estate investor, and is currently the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of The KABR Group, a value-added and opportunistic private equity real estate firm. Since 2008, Mr. Pasternak has identified 80 real estate investments, and raised over $175 million in equity from accredited investors for KABR.

In 1995, Mr. Pasternak founded Knight Capital Group (KCG), a global financial services firm that is responsible for the execution of equity transactions and institutional sales and trading. Mr. Pasternak served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman for seven years. In 1998, KCG completed its Initial Public Offering. In 1999, KCG completed one of the largest follow on offerings, and then in 2000 completed a $1 billion acquisition of Arbitrade. Under his leadership, Knight Capital Group’s market capitalization exceeded $5 billion. Mr. Pasternak was awarded the national Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young for these accomplishments in 1999. He began his career in 1979 at Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, now a part of Goldman Sachs, rising to become the head of NASDAQ trading. Throughout his career, he has served on the boards of numerous publicly traded and private institutions.

One Journal Square
30 Journal Square
Trump Bay Street – 65 Bay St
Warren at Bay – 124-132 Bay St
725 Bergen Ave
727 Bergen Ave
720-726 Bergen Ave
363 Grove St
371 4th St
270-272 Newark Ave

Nick Kenner
Founder & CEO
Just Salad

Nick Kenner is the CEO and Cofounder of Just Salad- a New York City based, fast casual restaurant brand. Just Salad provides quality healthy food, in a fast and approachable way. The brand offers a rotating cast of local, in-season ingredients, with a line up of quality proteins including grassfed free-range beef, antibiotic-free chicken, sustainable seafood, and organic tofu.

Alongside his childhood friend, Nick conceptualized Just Salad to fill a much-needed niche in the urban culinary scene. Since opening their first location in 2006, Nick has grown the brand to over 30 locations worldwide, remaining dedicated to his core principles, and staying ahead of the industry’s ever-changing landscape. Under this leadership, Just Salad established an international presence with locations in Hong Kong and Dubai, and continues to thrive in New York City, Chicago, Kansas, and Philadelphia.

Nick was recognized for his entrepreneurial accomplishments by Inc.’s 30 Under 30 list in 2007. He graduated from Colgate University with a degree in Political Science. He resides in Manhattan with his wife and two kids.

Just Salad
Newport Tower
525 Washington Blvd
Jersey City, NJ 07310

Adam I. Popper joined Columbia Property Trust in 2016 as Senior Vice President – Eastern Region. In this role, he oversees all investment and asset management activities for the Company in the eastern United States, with a primary focus on assets and opportunities in three of the Company’s key markets: New York City, Washington, D.C. and Boston. He leads the Company’s Eastern Region team from the New York corporate office and serves on Columbia’s Investment Committee.

Mr. Popper came to Columbia from Westbrook Partners, where, as a managing principal and member of the investment committee, he participated in new partner development, as well as acquisition and value enhancement activities within the U.S. Prior to joining Westbrook in 2013, he served as a senior vice president and director of U.S. office acquisitions for Vornado Realty Trust.

Previously, Mr. Popper served as a managing director of Beacon Capital Partners, leading Beacon’s investment strategy in the New York Metropolitan area, and as a senior director of Tishman Speyer Properties, where he led the company’s acquisition efforts in the eastern U.S., in addition to earlier transaction-related roles with other New York-based real estate management and investment firms.

Mr. Popper is a member of Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers, and he serves on the executive board of directors for the New York City/Southern New York Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Hamilton College.

International Financial Tower – 95 Christopher Columbus Drive. 

A 19 story Class A office tower containing over 629,000 rentable square feet. Constructed in 1989, the building is pentagon shaped to maximize the views of New York City to the east. The newly renovated exterior façade consists of precast earth tone concrete panels, accented by granite. The impressive and newly renovated entrance features a five story granite lobby with a full height window wall and natural lighting from skylights. This lovely lobby is accented by a large waterfall and reflecting pool. The building floor plates average 36,000 square feet. A six story parking garage is attached to the building and provides private parking for 500 vehicles and a private entrance to the lobby. Jersey City has recently renovated the park across Christopher Columbus Drive as well as the Drive itself creating an inviting pedestrian and vehicular thoroughfare.

www.95christophercolumbus.com

Joseph P. Baumann, Jr. is a member and Chairman of McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC. He specializes in all aspects of public sector law including public finance and redevelopment law as well as the representation of private clients in redevelopment projects. He has represented the State, its agencies and numerous municipalities, counties, boards of education and authorities. Such representation has involved a broad range of transactions, including negotiated and competitive, special obligations and general obligations, current and advance refundings and all aspects of redevelopment related financings.

Mr. Baumann also has substantial expertise in all aspects of redevelopment law, serving as lead redevelopment counsel in projects as large as the redevelopment of a 652 acre former military ocean terminal in Bayonne and as small as a one-acre mixed use project in Cranford. Mr. Baumann provides advice to the firm’s public sector clients in connection with the designation of redevelopment areas, preparation and adoption of redevelopment plans, selection of redevelopers, negotiation of redevelopment agreements, financial agreements and funding agreements and the management of redevelopment projects. Mr. Baumann also speaks regularly on various redevelopment topics.

Mr. Baumann’s expertise also extends to the representation of private entities in all aspects of development with particular emphasis in the interaction of such private entities with public bodies. Finally, Mr. Baumann has devoted a substantial amount of his practice to the privatization of public water, wastewater and solid waste system, the securitization of municipal tax liens in many urban cities throughout the Northeastern United States and the representation of certain public bodies as general counsel.

Mr. Baumann received his Bachelor of Arts degree in government, with a second major in business administration, from the University of Notre Dame in l984. He received his Juris Doctoris degree from Rutgers University Law School, cum laude, in l987, where he served on the staff of the Rutgers Camden Law Journal.

Mr. Baumann is a member in the New Jersey Bar Association, the Association of Environmental Authorities, the National Association of Bond Lawyers and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.

Education
Notre Dame, B.A.
Rutgers University School of Law, J.D.
Practice Areas
Corporations, Business and Banking
Energy
General and Special Counsel Services
Public-Private Partnerships (P3)
Public Finance
Redevelopment and Land Use
Bar Admissions
New Jersey
Honors
Listed yearly in U.S. News “Best Lawyers in America” since 2007
Peer rated in Martindale-Hubbell as “AV Preeminent”
Selected as a “Super Lawyer” in 2009 and 2010

Roseland Office (headquarters)
75 Livingston Avenue
Roseland, New Jersey 07068
Telephone (973) 622-1800
Fax (973) 622-7333
info@msbnj.comNewark Office
1037 Raymond Boulevard, 3rd Floor
Newark, New Jersey 07102
newark@msbnj.comTrenton Office
222 West State Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08607
trenton@msbnj.com

Mitch Bodner is Managing Director of Building and Land Technology where his responsibilities include oversight of the Beacon project in Jersey City, NJ (www.thebeaconjc.com). The Beacon is one of the largest historic rehabilitation projects in the United States, redeveloping eleven mid and high-rise buildings from the former Jersey City Medical Center into a ±1,500-unit residential complex.

Founded in 1982, Building and Land Technology (www.bltoffice.com) is a privately held, vertically integrated, real estate private equity, development and property management firm. BLT has developed, owned and managed over five million square feet of commercial space and over 10,000 residential units. BLT is one of the largest office landlords in Connecticut and is the developer of numerous residential, commercial and mixed-use projects, including Harbor Point, a transformative mixed-use development in Stamford, CT (www.harborpt.com). BLT’s investment portfolio spans 26 states with investments in the office, multifamily, hotel, single family rental and mixed-use sectors. Assets under management in the New York metro area include 212 Fifth Avenue, an iconic New York City luxury condominium project as well as the Beacon. Mr. Bodner has over 16 years of commercial real estate experience. Prior to joining BLT, Mr. Bodner was Vice President of Investments at Archstone, where he was responsible for multifamily and mixed-use acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and asset management, as well as Senior Consultant at CBRE, where he performed financial analysis on a broad array of commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Bodner graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. Mitch overseas the redevelopment of The Beacon which is one of the largest historic rehabilitation projects in the US.

The Beacon – Six Building Complex
The Mercury
The Orpheum
The Paramount
The Tower
The Criterion
The Hague

Allina Boohoff
Managing Director
Head of Asset Management -Multifamily Sector
J.P.Morgan Asset Management – Global Real Assets

Allina has been with Global Real Assets since 2003 and is responsible for leading the asset management efforts for the group’s multifamily portfolio in the U.S., a 49,000 unit, 150-property portfolio valued at $14 billion. Allina is responsible for major joint venture partner relationships in the multifamily sector and has significant involvement in client meetings and presentation related to multifamily investments. She has 18 years of real estate experience and was previously the financial controller for the multi-family portfolio and a financial controller for the Alternative Property Fund and transferred to asset management in 2006. Prior to joining the firm, Allina worked for Ernst & Young LLP, where she was a senior accountant in the Real Estate Group.

Allina holds a B.S. in finance and economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University, an M.S. in accounting from Mendoza School of Business at University of Notre Dame and is also a CPA. She is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts and is a holder of the CFA designation. She also serves on the board of National Multi Housing Council and is a member of ULI’s bronze multifamily council.

Lenox Paulus Hook – 207 Van Vorst St
Liberty Towers – 33 Hudson St
Liberty Harbor North

Robert P. Antonicello is a broker/advisor specializing in urban and suburban redevelopment projects, including brokerage, acquisition, entitlement, consulting and development. He has 35 years of diverse experience in local government and the private sector, with a focus on redevelopment, entitlement, economic development, and public-private partnerships. He has served in various lead¬ership positions in local government, ranging from Director of Neighborhood Planning to his eight years as Executive Director for the Jersey City Redevel¬opment Agency (JCRA).

As Executive Director for JCRA, New Jersey’s largest and oldest municipal redevelopment agency, Mr. Antonicello was responsible for many high-profile projects in Jersey City’s redevelopment, including the Powerhouse Project, the Journal Square Vision Plan and its successful green workforce-housing program. Mr. Antonicello’s broad area of expertise includes project facilitation, project entitlement, site assemblage, environmental remediation and developer selection. Mr. Antonicello has earned a reputation as a “bridge” between the local government and private development community.

His vast and diverse background includes 25 years as owner/manager of a successful commercial real estate firm, responsible for the sale of many landmark building and large development sites in Jersey City and Hoboken. Early in his career, he served both as a City Planner and Executive Director of Neighborhood Housing Services for the City of Jersey City. In December 2008, he was named Public Official of the Year by the Urban Land Institute of Northern New Jersey.
Mr. Antonicello is a full member of the Urban Land Institute and a former North Jersey District Council Chairperson. He now serves as the Governance Chair for the ULI District Council.

Mr. Antonicello has a BA in Urban Affairs from Rutgers University and a Masters of Real Estate Development from New York University.

111 Pavonia Ave – Newport
35 Journal Square – Office
167 Morgan Street – Downtown Hotel Site
1075 West Side Ave & Former Puccini Restaurant Site
Harborside Plaza 5 – NJCU New Business School @ Harborside
880 Bergen Ave
450 MLK Drive
445 Ocean Ave
137 Monticello Ave
871 Communipaw
153 Corbin Ave
510 Summit Ave
372 Montgomery St
233 Arlington Ave
28 & 30 Giles Ave
936 & 938 Pavonia Ave
54 Broadway
2040 John F. Kennedy Blvd
and others…

Marcos D. Vigil recently joined Mayor Steven Fulop’s administration as Deputy Mayor to oversee economic development and real estate, working closely with the Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce as well as the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency. He will also collaborate on policies related to government operations.

Mr. Vigil served for the past four years as the Deputy Secretary of State for New York in the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo. During his tenure with New York State, Mr. Vigil headed the Division of Consumer Protection and represented the Secretary of State as Chair of the New York State Real Estate Board, a regulatory body overseeing real estate professionals. At the New York Department of State, Mr. Vigil oversaw six agencies with revenue generation of more than $70 million annually. Those divisions included the Divisions of Corporations and Licensing Services, which licenses and regulates 32 different occupations across New York. Mr. Vigil was also instrumental in streamlining operations that lead to greater efficiencies and reduced operating costs, and will work in Jersey City to continue the mayor’s agenda of streamlining services and creating greater efficiencies.

Prior to his appointment by Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mr. Vigil worked as an attorney for several law firms in New York City, representing domestic and international clients in complex civil litigation and advising on employment and business law matters. A graduate of Princeton University, Mr. Vigil received his Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law. Mr. Vigil has served as a Board Member of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, and as Deputy General Counsel of the National Hispanic Bar Association. He was listed in the Super Lawyers Magazine 2011 NY Metro Rising Stars list.

Commissioner, Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority

Oversees Economic Development & Real Estate. 

Commissioner, Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority

Ann Ferracane
General Manager, New Jersey & Upstate New York
Lyft

Ann is currently the General Manager of Lyft for the New Jersey and Upstate New York region. Originally joining Lyft in late 2014 as a Senior Analyst, she has held roles as Senior Mgr of Analytics, Head of Business Intelligence, and Product Manager of Experimentation before taking the role of GM. Before joining Lyft, Ann worked in various data, strategy, and product roles at LinkedIn and Google – focusing on LinkedIn’s Premium platform and fraud analytics for Google Wallet. Prior to joining the tech world, Ann worked as a developer and analyst for a commercial real estate econometric consultancy within CBRE. Ann recently relocated back to NYC (closer to home) after several years in SF. She has also lived in Boston and Philadelphia, where she studied Information Mgmt Systems at Harvard Extension and Finance/Economics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. Last but not least, she is an avid skier, a Division I athlete, and enjoys comedy shows!

Cities in New Jersey: 

Atlantic City
Camden
Cherry Hill
Hoboken
Jersey City
Montclair
Morristown
Newark
Trenton

Paul Silverman
Founder & Principal
SILVERMAN

Much like their buildings and developments, brothers Eric Silverman and Paul Silverman are treasured fixtures in Jersey City. In 1981, Eric and Paul began their careers with the renovation of a dilapidated 15 unit apartment building in Jersey City’s Paulus Hook neighborhood. In 2012, they built GP’s Restaurant, completing the 25,000 square foot retail component of Hamilton Square, a 300 unit mixed use residential development at the site of the former St. Francis Hospital.

SILVERMAN has restored historic landmarks, championed the development of mixed-use buildings, attracted commercial and industrial tenants to Hudson County, invested in micro-brewery New Jersey Beer Company, and brought creative new retail ventures to Jersey City, creating over 1000 residences and over 500,000 square feet of commercial and light industrial spaces. The Silvermans’ work goes far beyond innovative projects and quality construction. Giving back to the community is just as important to Eric and Paul as developing the buildings that house the residents, retailers, schools and companies. The Silvermans are involved with mane civic and not-for-profit organizations. SILVERMAN hosts art shows, ribbon cuttings, fundraisers, and activities for the community, including the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and the Hamilton Park BBQ Festival providing energy and enthusiasm to the neighborhoods. Eric and Paul’s values, history, and mission are very easily summarized in the company tag line: Building Neighborhoods.

331 Marin Blvd
Hamilton Square South – Pavonia Ave & Erie St
Charles & Co. – 201 Montgomery St
Hamilton Square – 232 Pavonia Ave
The Majestic Theatre Condominiums – 222 Montgomery St
Park Foundry – 242 10th St
Schroeder Lofts – 234 10th St
Two Ten 9th Street – 210 9th St
Majestic Corner Retail – 273-297 Grove St 

Past & Current Associations:
Member, Jersey City Local Economy Working Group
Member, Hudson County Workforce Development Board
Chairman, Hudson County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee
Past Vice Chairman, Hudson County Chamber of Commerce
Board Member, NJCU Foundation
Strategic Partner & Seed Grant Funder, The Ignite Institute at Saint Peter’s University
Chairman Emeritus, Hudson County Community College Foundation
Turstee Emeritus, Muhlenberg College

Richard Sciaretta
Principal & Director
Claremont Companies

Richard has extensive experience in real estate capital markets and ground-up development projects. He currently serves as Principal, where he is actively involved with the acquisition, development, and financing of Claremont’s real estate projects that currently total $300 million.

Prior to Joining Claremont, Richard served as Assistant Vice President at SJP Properties where he played an integral role in the acquisition and development of projects totaling $500 million. Richard began his a career as a financial analyst for HFF, where he worked on over $375 million of real estate debt and equity assignments.

Richard earned a BA in Economics from Villanova University and completed the General Course at the London School of Economics.

The Claremont Companies diverse experience and professional makeup has enabled them to develop a unique ability to perform a wide range of comprehensive services for our partners and clients. We maintain significant general lines of credit and are bondable for $200 million. They are also certified for public projects for the State of New Jersey as well as Historic restoration projects.

University Place at NJCU – Block 2 & 3
Marin Residences – 515 Marin Blvd
Whitlock Mills – 160 Lafayette St
Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal – Liberty State Park
Claremont Cove Condominiums – 1 Greene St

Debra Tantleff
Founding Principal
TANTUM Real Estate

As Founding Principal of TANTUM Real Estate, Debra Tantleff operates a certified Women’s Business Enterprise focused on creating boutique multi-family and mixed-use communities in the New Jersey region. Prior to founding TANTUM, Ms. Tantleff was a Vice President of Development at Roseland, a Mack-Cali Company, where she established a highly-acclaimed reputation for delivering exceptional mixed-use projects, with a portfolio consisting of more than 5,000 residential units and 200,000 square feet of retail space.

Ms. Tantleff serves on the New Jersey Committee of the Regional Plan Association and the Board of Directors for Downtown New Jersey, and is also a member of New Jersey Future and the New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA). She was named Real Estate Forum’s “Top 40 Under 40” in 2012, received the Women Builders Council’s 2015 Outstanding Women Award, and was listed as a “Forty Under 40” in 2016 by NJBIZ. She has also been recognized numerous times by the National Association of Home Builders and the NJBA, including being awarded the 2015 Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Political Action.

An honors graduate from Rutgers University, Ms. Tantleff holds a B.A.S. from the School of Communication and Information Studies, and is a member of the Executive Committee at the Center for Real Estate at Rutgers Business School, where she also serves as Co-Chair of the Emerging Leaders Council. She holds a Masters in Real Estate Finance from the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University.

524-530 Ocean Ave
Development at Roseland, a Mack-Cali Company – 2002-2014

Donald M. Pepe
Partner
Co-Chair of Corporate Transactional & Business Law Group
Scarinci Hollenbeck

Donald is a Partner at Scarinci Hollenbeck and Co-Chair of the firm’s Corporate Transactional & Business Law Group. Mr. Pepe devotes his practice to all aspects of real estate development and real estate transactional work with an emphasis on retail and residential projects. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Pepe served as in house counsel to one of the nation’s largest residential developers. Additionally, Mr. Pepe acts as transactional and development counsel for a global big-box retail company for its development projects in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, giving him comprehensive insight into the needs of both large and
small clients, as well as a thorough understanding of the development process.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Pepe has shepherded hundreds of development projects through the approval process resulting on tens of thousands of new residential units and millions of square feet of retail development. Mr. Pepe works closely with business executives and in-house counsel to develop strategies for targeting acquisitions, land purchase negotiations, managing and evaluating feasibility studies, representing corporate interests before local, state and federal approval authorities, and securing land use and administrative approvals.

JERSEY CITY OFFICE:
1242 Tenth St., Suite #101,
Jersey City, NJ 07302