SJP Properties Founder Steven J. Pozycki to Receive NAIOP New Jersey Lifetime Achievement Award
Leading Industry Executive Honored for Significant Contributions to Garden State’s Commercial Real Estate Landscape
PARSIPPANY, NJ (April 23, 2013) – Steven J. Pozycki, Founder, Chairman and CEO of leading real estate development company SJP Properties, will accept NAIOP New Jersey’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the organization’s 26th Annual Commercial Real Estate Gala on May 9.
The award, NAIOP New Jersey’s highest honor, recognizes Pozycki for his distinguished and longstanding record of exemplary service to the commercial real estate industry and the greater community. Since founding Parsippany-based SJP Properties in 1981, Pozycki, a New Jersey native, has forged the company’s continued growth to become one of the preeminent developers of Class A commercial and premier residential properties throughout the New York Metropolitan Area.
“Known for his unwavering attention to detail and unparalleled work ethic, Steve is highly regarded for the consistent leadership he has demonstrated in bolstering New Jersey’s competitive edge through best-in-class development and furthering the state’s economic growth objectives,” said Michael McGuinness, CEO of NAIOP New Jersey. “A true icon of New Jersey real estate, Steve has played an integral role in making the Garden State a truly great place to live and work, and we are extremely pleased to recognize him with this prestigious honor.”
More than 30 years since the company’s founding, SJP continues to be one of the most active developers in New Jersey, with nearly a $1 billion of ground-up development currently under construction throughout the state.
One of the most high profile of these developments is the new, 340,000-square-foot Class A office building that SJP is developing in partnership with Matrix Development Group to serve as the new U.S. headquarters for Panasonic Corporation of North America. The 12-story, state-of-the-art building is the first new office development for Newark’s downtown in nearly two decades. Heralded by Newark Mayor Cory Booker as the “single greatest economic accomplishment” of his administration, the project is a prime example of SJP’s role in furthering the state’s master plan objective of smart growth development in urban centers near existing infrastructure.
In Hoboken, SJP is also under construction on a new Class A office and retail building that, much like the Panasonic project, will serve as a significant driver of economic growth in one of New Jersey’s premier urban hubs. Waterfront Corporate Center III, a 500,000-square-foot, build-to-suit office and retail building, will house up to 900 of learning company Pearson’s employees, and is the culmination of SJP’s pioneering efforts to transform a portion of the Hoboken waterfront into 1.5 million square feet of Class A commercial space. Designed as New Jersey’s only waterfront Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certified office building, the property will significantly contribute to the state’s inventory of cutting-edge, transit-oriented office space.
In addition to the significant impact SJP has made on New Jersey’s commercial real estate landscape, the company is also currently developing The Modern, a $500 million development highlighted by two iconic 47-story, luxury residential towers at the foot of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee. Under construction on a prominent redevelopment site that had sat undeveloped for more than 40 years, The Modern is the latest example of SJP’s commitment to the creation of superior residential properties, and will provide in-demand, luxury rental housing to an underserved market of New Jersey.
“I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious award from NAIOP New Jersey. Since our company’s founding, we have remained focused on the New York Metropolitan Area, and New Jersey in particular, with a strong commitment to the development of high-quality properties that have a positive impact on the State and the individual communities in which we build and invest,” Pozycki said. “But beyond the quality of our portfolio, my proudest achievement is the creation of a world-class team of professionals at SJP Properties, who are just as dedicated as I am to continuing the track record of success we have been fortunate to experience throughout our history. It is due to the collective efforts of our entire team that SJP Properties continues to play an active part in the ongoing improvement of New Jersey’s real estate landscape.”
Prior to his founding SJP Properties, Pozycki had 10 years of institutional experience in the real estate finance field, first with Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., where he trained and worked on new business and loan workouts for the Northeast region. He then joined Equitable Life Assurance Society, where he worked on new business production for acquisitions, joint ventures and participating debt on all types of commercial real estate projects in the western half of the country.
Pozycki began his career in commercial real estate in 1981 when he opened a finance office for Lincoln Property Company in New York City that became Lincoln’s in-house investment banking operation. Shortly thereafter, he acquired and began developing his first project, known as Morris Corporate Center, a 182-acre corporate park in Parsippany. Since that time, he and the SJP team have successfully developed nearly 25 million square feet of ground-up real estate in partnership with major public and private institutions.