Veris Residential

Veris Residential, Inc. is an American real estate investment trust headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, investing primarily in apartments in New Jersey and Boston.[1]

As of February 2025, it owned or had interests in 22 apartment complexes, three parking/retail properties and land held for development, containing 7,681 apartment units and approximately 56,000 square feet of retail. The company's properties are in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. Notable properties owned by the company include The BLVD Collection, Sable, and Haus25.[1]

The company was formerly known as Mack-Cali Realty Corporation.

History

The company was founded in 1949 as Cali Associates by John J. Cali, Angelo R. Cali, and Edward Leshowitz.[2][3]

In the 1950s, Cali Associates was a developer of single family homes in northern New Jersey. In 1969, the company completed construction of its first office building, 14 Commerce Drive, in Cranford Business Park, Cranford, New Jersey. During the 1970s and 1980s, Cali Associates capitalized on increasing population and commerce in New Jersey by building 2.2 million square feet of class A office space.[4]

In August 1994, Cali Associates became a public company through an initial public offering of stock, and it changed its name to Cali Realty Corporation, under a management headed by Brant Cali, John R. Cali, and Thomas A. Rizk.[5]

In 1997, Cali Realty acquired the Robert Martin Company for $211 million in cash and 1,401,225 operating-partnership units, then valued at $44 million, and the assumption of $185 million of debt. The transaction added 65 properties and 4.1 million square feet to its portfolio, mostly in Westchester County, New York, and Connecticut.[6] In 2019, Robert Martin re-acquired most of the portfolio from Mack-Cali for $487.5 million.[7]

In December 1997, Cali Realty Corporation completed a $1.2 billion merger with Patriot American Office Group and the Mack Company (founded by H. Bert Mack and operated by his four sons: Earle I. Mack, William L. Mack, Fredric H. Mack, and David S. Mack). The company changed its named to Mack-Cali Realty Corporation. At the time, this merger was the largest real estate investment trust transaction.[8][9]

Mitchell E. Hersh became the chief executive officer (CEO) in 1999. In 2004, he became president of the company in addition to its CEO.[10]

In 1998, the company acquired $450 million worth of office properties, which boosted its holdings by 12%.[11] It also bought properties in Washington, D.C. and Maryland[12] and properties in the Southwest.[13]

In 2000, the company agreed to acquire Prentiss Properties for $976 million in stock, or $2.2 billion including assumed debt, but terminated the deal after failing to get investor approval, paying a $25 million termination fee.[14][15]

In 2006, the company acquired the Gale Company, a private real estate firm headquartered in New Jersey that owned 2.8 million-square-foot of office buildings.[16]

In 2012, the company acquired Roseland Partners, a property developer in New Jersey, for $134.6 million.[17] It was developing the $120 million RiverTrace waterfront tower at Port Imperial, which was completed in October 2013.[18]

In 2013, the company sold 19 Skyline Drive for $17.5 million.[19]

In November 2014, Roseland opened Portside at East Pier in East Boston.[20][21] The second phase, which includes 550 luxury residences and 70,000 square feet of retail space, opened in 2018.[22]

In June 2015, Mitchell E. Rudin became CEO and Michael J. DeMarco became the company's president and chief operating officer.[23][24]

In September 2015, the company moved its headquarters to Jersey City.[25]

In June 2020, MaryAnne Gilmartin was named chairperson.[26]

In March 2021, Mahbod Nia was named CEO of the company.[27][28][29]

In December 2021, the company changed its name to Veris Residential, Inc, reflecting a pivot from office to multifamily residential buildings.[30][31]

In October 2022, Kushner Companies offered to acquire the company for $4.3 billion.[32] However, the offer was rejected.[33]

In April 2023, the company sold Harborside 1, 2, & 3 in Jersey City for $420 million.[34][35]

In February 2024, the company sold its final office property.[36]

In February 2026, a private equity consortium led by Affinius Capital and Vista Hill Partners agreed to acquired Veris Residential for an enterprise value of $3.4 billion.[37]

References

  1. Veris Residential, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K Annual Report U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, February 24, 2025^
  2. Dennis Hevesi. Angelo R. Cali, 91, Founder of Real Estate Trust, Dies The New York Times, December 15, 2006, retrieved February 17, 2017^
  3. Laurence Arnold. John Cali, Co-Founder of Mack-Cali Predecessor, Dies at 95 Bloomberg News, February 4, 2014, retrieved 2017-03-08^
  4. Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Encyclopedia.com^
  5. Claudia H. Deutsch. Commercial Property/Going Public; A Veteran Realty Company Takes the Market Plunge The New York Times, September 18, 1994, retrieved February 17, 2017^
  6. John Holusha. Westchester Firm Becoming Part of Jersey REIT The New York Times, February 2, 1997, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  7. Robert Martin Company Acquires $487.5 Million Real Estate Portfolio from Mack-Cali Paul Hastings, April 19, 2019, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  8. Rachelle Garbarine. Commercial Property/Mack-Cali Realty Corporation; From Two Family Firms, a 'Super-Regional REIT' The New York Times, January 4, 1998, retrieved February 17, 2017^
  9. John Holusha. Cali to Acquire Mack Co. The New York Times, August 15, 1997^
  10. Peter Grant. New Leadership at Mack-Cali Promises Change The Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2015^
  11. COMPANY NEWS; MACK-CALI REALTY TO EXPAND OFFICE PROPERTY HOLDINGS The New York Times, December 15, 2006, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  12. Mack-Cali Property Deal The New York Times, June 16, 1998, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  13. COMPANY NEWS; MACK-CALI ADDS SEVERAL NEW PROPERTIES The New York Times, January 14, 1998, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  14. Dean Starkman. Mack-Cali Terminates Deal To Acquire Prentiss Properties The Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2000^
  15. COMPANY NEWS; MACK-CALI ENDS BID FOR PRENTISS PROPERTIES TRUST The New York Times, September 23, 2000^
  16. Mack-Cali Completes Its Acquisition of the Gale Real Estate Services Company and Interests in 20 New Jersey Office Properties -- Gale President Mark Yeager Named EVP at Mack-Cali Business Wire, May 10, 2006, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  17. Mack-Cali Realty Corporation To Acquire Real Estate Interests And Development And Management Businesses Of Roseland Partners PR Newswire, October 9, 2012, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  18. Antoinette Martin. A Rising Rental Market in the North The New York Times, November 17, 2011, retrieved February 17, 2017^
  19. Mack-Cali Sells Westchester County Property PR Newswire, April 10, 2013, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  20. Roseland And Massport Celebrate Opening Of Portside at East Pier Building 7 PR Newswire, November 13, 2014, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  21. John Lynds. After More than Two Decades Portside at East Pier is Open East Boston Times Free Press, November 19, 2014^
  22. Roseland And Massport Celebrate Opening Of Portside at East Pier Building 7 PR Newswire, November 13, 2014, retrieved March 20, 2020^
  23. Lisa Beilfuss. Mack-Cali Taps Industry Veteran as New CEO The Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2015^
  24. Mack-Cali Names Mitch Rudin CEO, Mike DeMarco President Commercial Real Estate Direct, retrieved 2016-04-14^
  25. Kathryn Brenzel. Big win for Jersey City: Mack Cali to move headquarters as it zeroes in on Gold Coast NJ.com, September 11, 2015, retrieved April 23, 2019^
  26. Mack-Cali Appoints MaryAnne Gilmartin Board Chair PR Newswire, June 15, 2020^
  27. Mack-Cali Names Mahbod Nia Chief Executive Officer March 3, 2021^
  28. Joshua Burd. Mack-Cali names new CEO, as Gilmartin steps down as board chair Real Estate New Jersey, March 3, 2021, retrieved June 6, 2024^
  29. Ben Miller. Mack-Cali names Mahbod Nia CEO American City Business Journals, March 3, 2021^
  30. Mack-Cali Becomes Veris Residential PRNewswire, December 7, 2021, retrieved December 14, 2021^
  31. Akiko Matsuda. Mack-Cali names new CEO, as Gilmartin steps down as board chair The Real Deal, December 7, 2021, retrieved June 6, 2024^
  32. Peter Grant. Kushner Cos. Offers to Buy Rival Real Estate Company The Wall Street Journal, October 20, 2022^
  33. Svea Herbst-Bayliss. Veris Residential rebuffs Kushner Cos $4.3 bln takeover bid-letter Reuters, November 3, 2022^
  34. Veris Residential Completes $420 Million Sale of Harborside 1, 2, and 3 PR Newswire, April 5, 2023^
  35. Mark Hallum. Veris Sells Jersey City Office Buildings for an Unexpected Profit Observer Media, April 6, 2023^
  36. Jack Rogers. Veris Completes Transition to Pure-Play Multifamily REIT GlobeSt., February 27, 2024, retrieved June 6, 2024^
  37. Veris Residential to be taken private in $3.4 billion all-cash deal Reuters, February 23, 2026^