David Greek, managing partner with East Brunswick-based Greek Real Estate Partners, is chair of Circulate NJ
By Joshua Burd
Circulate NJ, the fast-growing business coalition supporting the state’s logistics industry, is pledging to work with Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill after the Democrat’s convincing win in Tuesday’s election.
The organization quickly said as much in a statement issued by its chair, development executive David Greek.
“On behalf of Circulate NJ, we congratulate Congresswoman Sherrill on being elected the next governor of New Jersey,” said Greek, a managing partner with East Brunswick-based Greek Real Estate Partners. “As the driving force behind the state’s economy, we look forward to working with the governor-elect. We hope she will continue to keep an open mind regarding the numerous benefits that the transportation, logistics and distribution industry brings to New Jersey. Working together, we can ensure job growth and economic development flourish in the Garden State for years to come.”
Greek and others in the state’s commercial real estate sector were among those to launch Circulate NJ last fall, seeking to promote the benefits of New Jersey’s logistics sector and defend against rhetoric that has stalled a growing number of warehouse development projects in recent years. That came ahead of a gubernatorial race in which the growing controversy around the asset class was likely to be a hot-button issue, even as Circulate NJ, NAIOP New Jersey and others pushed to educate the public on how on how the transportation, logistics and distribution industry supports the state’s economy and workforce and helps to clean up highly contaminated sites.
One key moment during the primary campaign came last February, when Sherrill posted on X that she supported a moratorium on warehouse development in New Jersey, citing reporting on high vacancies and concerns from local communities around the environmental impact, increased traffic and quality of life. Leaders of Circulate NJ and NAIOP quickly pushed back, calling for cooler heads and the need to learn the industry’s economic benefits.
Neither Sherrill nor her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, spent significant time on the issue during the remainder of the campaign. That included a September forum hosted by NAIOP New Jersey, where the candidates instead focused on issues such as energy and reforming the state’s permitting agencies, although Sherrill briefly recognized the importance of the state’s logistics sector.
Sherrill, Ciattarelli make their case on permitting, energy as NAIOP welcomes gubernatorial hopefuls
