History

Founders Era (1950-1978)

Cali Associates was founded in 1949 by two brothers, John J. Cali and Angelo R. Cali, and their close friend and associate, Edward Leshowitz. They foresaw a need for housing after World War II, and began the company as a developer of single-family homes in Northern New Jersey. 

As the suburban population grew and businesses began considering a suburban - rather than urban – location, the Cali's turned their focus towards developing office space in New Jersey. Cali made its first major foray into office development in 1969 with completion of the 63,000 SF 14 Commerce Drive in Cranford, NJ and continued on to build what is now the 880-acre, 500,000 SF Cranford Business Park.

In the 1970s, the Founders also developed numerous multi-family projects totaling over 1000 residential units.

 

2nd Generation (1978-1994)

Between 1977 and 1990, John R. Cali, Brant Cali, and Phil Cali Jr. all joined the team. Cali Associates continued its focus on suburban office development, building over 2.2 million SF of class A office space in New Jersey. Brant and John R. - sons of John J. and Angelo Cali, respectively - played a greater role in the company throughout the 80's and 90's, overseeing development, leasing, marketing and property management. They continued to operate under the founders' philosophy of strong partnerships, long-term tenant relationships, and putting their customers first. This approach to managing properties is why companies looked to the Calis for their office space solutions as their businesses evolved.

The Cali organization completed a number of significant new office developments in the Garden State and emphasized its personal approach to tenant relations. They went on to develop over 4 million SF of commercial properties, including 18 class A office buildings totaling 3 million SF.

Some of the landmark buildings in the portfolio included: 

  • 101 Eisenhower Parkway in Roseland, NJ 

  • 50 Tice Boulevard in Woodcliff Lake, NJ 

  • International Financial Tower in Jersey City, NJ 

  • 20 Commerce Drive in Cranford, NJ

  • Liberty Hall Corporate Center in Union, NJ 

  • International Financial Tower at 95 Christopher Columbus Drive in Jersey City, NJ

During this time, the company’s strong reputation continued to grow. Numerous Cali buildings earned the prestigious New Jersey Good Neighbor Award for outstanding contributions to their communities. Cali Associates was also named "Developer of the Year" in 1986 by the New Jersey Subcontractors Association and "Division I Developer of the Year" in 1990 by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). 

 

IPO & Public Company (1994-2001)

In 1994, Cali Associates was one of the few private real estate companies to recognize the need to grow through access to the capital markets. The company went public as Cali Realty Corporation, transforming itself from a family-owned development and management company to the first office real estate investment trust (REIT) in New Jersey. After its initial public offering, Cali Realty Corporation aggressively built up its portfolio through several significant acquisitions. In 1996, the Company expanded into Pennsylvania and at the same time acquired the 1.9 million SF Harborside Financial Center on the Jersey City waterfront. This included 6 million SF of developable space - the largest single commercial real estate transaction in New Jersey's history at the time.

Black’s Guide captured this ascent, stating, “From Cali's hands-on property management to its multitude of acquisitions to its impressive stock return, Cali Realty constantly surpasses all expectations. In just two years since its initial public offering, Cali has expanded across the tri-state area, completing more than $250 million in acquisitions. Cali’s original portfolio of 12 office properties, totaling 2.2 million SF with 230 tenants, has more than doubled to 45 properties totaling 4.6 million SF with over 430 tenants.”

Cali Realty Corporation became one of the most well-known and respected REITs in the nation. In 1997, the company acquired Westchester-based Robert Martin Company, expanding its Northeast presence. Later that year, Cali made history by announcing its $1.2 billion merger with The Mack Company, creating a REIT powerhouse with over 22 million SF of office space throughout the country. 

After the merger, John R. and Brant were instrumental in growing the company to 28 million SF by 2000, and their hard work did not go unnoticed. Cali Realty Corporation's position as industry leader was recognized in 1996 with the prestigious Impact Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), an award presented annually to the company with the greatest influence on the New Jersey real estate industry. The following year, International Financial Tower in Jersey City was awarded the 1997 Office Building of the Year Award by the New Jersey Chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).

In June of 2000, both John R. and Brant tendered their resignations to Mack-Cali Company as employees to pursue other ventures. Joined by their fathers, who were the founders of Cali Associates, and their cousin Phillip Cali, Jr., they founded Cali Futures LLC in 2001. 

John R. Cali remained on the Advisory Board of Mack-Cali Realty Corp. for several more years, and John J. Cali was Chairman Emeritus of Mack-Cali Realty Corp.

 

Cali Futures (2001-Present)

The Calis relied on their nearly 200 years of collective experience to form joint ventures across the state. These projects have included senior living developments, telecommunications conduit bored underneath the Hudson River, and several mixed-use projects. More recently the Calis have focused on multi-family and industrial deals in Hudson County. 

For more information on our recent developments, visit Featured Projects.