Jerry Castafero

Professional Profile



Executive Level Accomplishments:
Supervised asset management activities on multiple large commercial portfolios
Managed national brokerage and property management firm with assets over 25 million square feet
Instituted process management and organizational management strategies at several companies
Developed reporting methods for owners/investors/lenders
Directed multiple loan workout programs as borrower, lender and consultant
Oversaw over $2 billion of commercial construction
Developed complex commercial and mixed use projects up to $ 600 million each
Evaluated and redesigned numerous properties for alternative use/repositioning
Managed multiple entitlement and zoning efforts
Procured multiple bonds, grants, and low interest loans and other economic incentives
Provided numerous value engineering construction solutions


Mr. Castafero has overseen several million square feet in various commercial projects and 4000 multifamily units, with the bulk of activities in the Mid-Atlantic area. Projects ranged in size from $3 million up to $600 million including complex mixed use projects. Mr. Castafero has a wide range of experience in many facets of the real estate industry; he has extensive experience in development, construction, design, financing, acquisition and disposition, marketing, operations and organizational management, all at the executive level.

2005 to 2008Senior Vice PresidentONeill Properties

As Senior Vice President of Development at O'Neill Properties Group, Mr. Castafero headed the company's development group and oversaw the multiple phases of development activities including entitlements and governmental approvals, capital budgeting, environmental cleanup, design and construction processes, and financing. ONeill has over 1.5 billion dollars in various stages of development and is one of the nations largest leading developers of brownfields. Highlights of my activities include:

- Oversaw the asset management activities for this $1 billion retail portfolio. My 2008 capital budgets included the oversight of several large complex projects: a high profile 2M square foot lifestyle mixed use town center ($550M); a major retail center ($200M); and a 700k square foot refrigerated industrial facility ($220M).
-Added $12M in value with key acquisition and zoning change on a town center project, resulting in an improved proforma and reducing equity requirements by $5M; all as part of the overall $400M project financing.
-Saved $ 5.3M after instituting tighter bidding controls and introducing other bidders to ONeill on a 388 unit luxury apartment complex.
-Managed multiple brownfields negotiations and cleanups adding millions in land value.
-Achieved rezoning of 70 acres for mixed use in 9 months; landed Costco as anchor.
-Negotiated & achieved rezoning & final approvals on a mixed use project of 100 acres creating $38M additional land value.
-Successfully negotiated with state & local officials for a 700,000 SF, $220M built-to-suit for a troubled asset keeping the property from foreclosure.
-Led efforts to obtain public monies in excess of $225M for varied projects; Public/Private expertise.
- Instituted software & training program company-wide; adding additional management, reporting, and budget controls with better real time data.

2000 to PresentPresident The CREA Group, LLC

Mr. Castafero is the founder and President of the CREA Group. The firm provides expertise in consulting, acquisitions/sales, owner and tenant representation, organizational audit, property repositioning, workouts, economic incentives, development, and financing. He has diverse experience in domestic and international commercial real estate consulting with Fortune 500 and private companies.
-Prepared consolidation / merger analysis for 67 facilities and 7 M SF. Prepared strategic plan, policy and procedures manual and managed all leased and owned property transactions. Consolidation saved over $21M.
-Managed state & local incentives, provided bond financing, and managed design and construction for major client
-Managed portfolio of industrial properties and all transactions saving $1.8M with consolidation.

1998 to 2000Senior ManagerErnst & Young LLC

As the regional Director of Corporate Real Estate for Ernst &Young Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group (EYKL), Mr. Castaferos assignments included Asset Management and Loan Workouts, Construction Consulting, Strategic Business and Real Estate Planning, Site Searches, Organizational Alignment Studies, Financing Alternatives and Placement, Disposition/Acquisition, Operations Cost Reduction, Adaptive Reuse, Space Planning, Facilities Management, Location Consulting and Tenant Representation. His practice advised on the main areas of corporate Strategy, Operations, Process Management, Development, and Finance.


1992 to 1998President Commercial Binswanger Company

Mr. Castafero managed the national Commercial Sales, Leasing, and Asset & Property Management divisions, overseeing a portfolio of 25 million square feet. He further expanded the services of the firm, when he founded the Development and Project Management Division that soon grew this business to an international platform with alliances throughout the world. He served as owner representative and consultant for multi-national corporations for high rise office, suburban office, industrial, healthcare, telecommunications, retail, and multi-family development. In addition, he structured several build-to-suit and sale leaseback financings and led brokerage services,

As a Partner for The Linpro Company, Mr. Castafero led the Pennsylvania operations for the national developer. He developed company-owned real estate of nearly three million square feet and $500 million of office, industrial, retail, and multi-family real estate. He also was responsible for asset and property management, leasing, financing, acquisition and sale activities. In addition, Mr. Castafero was Vice President of Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance / BALCOR (American Express), a national syndicate. He was responsible for loan production and underwriting both for construction and permanent lending. As a joint venture partner, he represented Fidelity Mutual in the BALCOR/ Fidelity national venture for syndication with public and private offerings on over 300 properties.


EDUCATION & AFFILIATIONS

Education:MBA - Finance and Operations, BS Business Admin.-University of Delaware
Published: Real Estate Forum, Real Estate Investor, Philadelphia Business Journal, TriState Business Journal, and Commercial Property News.
Professional affiliations: Urban Land Institute, International Council Shopping Centers, National Association of Realtors, TriState Commercial Realtors, Pennsylvania Brokers Association.




REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS

Brandywine Realty Trust
ONeill Properties
Aetna Insurance
Liberty Mutual
St. Paul Companies
Waterford Wedgwood
Summa Industries
Occidental Chemical
AmerisourceBergen
American College of Physicians
University of Pennsylvania
University of Kansas
Provident Mutual
Columbia/HCA Healthcare
Mercy Health System
Micro-Coax


Comcast Corporation
Costco
Muvico Theatres
Target Corporation
Wegmans Foods
L.L.Bean
California Pizza Kicthen
Franklin Sports
Sylvan Learning
Graceway Pharmaceuticals
Philadelphia Electric
WinCup
Uniform Tube, Inc.
Public Service Electric & Gas
Knight-Ridder, Inc.
Bethlehem Steel
IKON Office Solutions