North American Properties (NAP) today announced that JLL’s Charles E. Cristella has been named National Director of Leasing for Riverton, a $2.5 billion, mixed-use destination in Sayreville, New Jersey. Riverton is located on 400 acres with over two miles of frontage on the Raritan River and Raritan Bay in the heart of New Jersey, just 20 miles from Manhattan.
Cristella, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, has a proven track record in retail leasing over the past 25 years, with well-honed skills in market research, demographic analysis and identifying and securing the right tenants and creative uses for each development project he oversees. In New Jersey, Cristella has coordinated leasing for 10 high-profile regional shopping centers, comprising 5.5 million square feet of gross leased area, totaling $550 million in redevelopment.
“I am very excited to play a key role in bringing Riverton to life by blending relevant national brands with local favorites into one immersive community” Cristella said. “Jersey knows Jersey, and we are looking forward to bringing the best of Jersey to the heart of Jersey. Riverton’s connection to the waterfront combined with a series of community gathering spaces, diverse retail, entertainment & dining experiences will make it a go to destination.”
Most recently, Cristella developed and implemented leasing and merchandising strategies for six super-regional malls in the eastern US: Westland Mall in Hialeah, Florida; the Mall at Wellington Green in Wellington, Florida; Northlake Mall in Charlotte, North Carolina; Blue Back Square in West Hartford, Connecticut; MacArthur Center in Norfolk, Virginia; and River Ridge in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Cristella has built strong relationships with industry leaders nationwide and in New Jersey, securing leasing from the ground-up for Shoppes at Union Hill in Denville, Shoppes at Cross Keys in Sicklerville, Shoppes at Hamilton, Shoppes at North Brunswick, Shoppes at Flemington and Shoppes at Old Bridge. He has also spearheaded remerchandising and redevelopment programs for Moorestown Mall, Cherry Hill Mall and Voorhees Town Center, all located in New Jersey.
“Charles has demonstrated the ability to deliver merchandising and leasing strategies for a range of retail projects, combining his industry-wide relationships and national market knowledge with a strong local perspective,” said Kevin Polston, project executive at Riverton. “Between his lifelong connections to the Philadelphia-New York corridor and his national reach, Charles is the ideal leasing professional to share our story with prospective end-users. Charles also is a great fit for our growing team at Riverton, as we build a fun and exciting place for people to live, work, shop, dine and play.”
About Riverton
Riverton, a retail-driven, community-focused, hospitality-infused mixed-use destination will blend retail, residential, office and hotel with an abundance of community amenities and gathering spaces for all to enjoy. Planning, design, leasing and procurement are underway; the excitement becomes reality with a groundbreaking that will be celebrated in Spring 2022. Riverton is located along the Raritan River, with direct access from the Garden State Parkway at the new $80 million Exit 125 Interchange in Sayreville, which was constructed in a public-private partnership to stimulate redevelopment of this former industrial area. Learn more about Riverton at ExperienceRiverton.com.
About North American Properties
Founded in 1954, North American Properties (NAP) is a privately held, multi-regional real estate operating and development company that has acquired, developed and managed more than $7 billion of mixed-use, retail, multifamily and office properties across the U.S. Rooted in its purpose-driven approach to development, NAP is creating great places that connect people to each other; cities to their souls; partners to opportunities; and individuals to experiences that move them. Headquartered in Cincinnati, with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Fort Myers, Florida, the company has developed 22 million square feet of commercial space and 19,000 residential units in 15 states and 67 cities. In the past three years, NAP has launched 36 projects totaling $2.2 billion in total capitalization. In metro Atlanta, it led the turnaround of Atlantic Station and the ground up development of Avalon. Currently, the company’s mixed-use portfolio includes Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia; Avenue East Cobb in Marietta, Georgia; Birkdale Village in Huntersville, North Carolina; Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta; Newport on the Levee in Newport, Kentucky; and Riverton in the New York metro area. For more information, visit naproperties.com.
